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The  HISTORY 

of  the 

City  of  Fredericksburg 
Virginia 


Prepared  and  printed  by  authority  of  the 

(Emmmw  (Enmtrtl  iljmnf, 

under  the  direction  of  its  Committee  on 
Publication,  consisting  of  the  following 
Councilmen  :  H.  B.  LANE,  WM.  E. 
BRADLEY  and  S.  W.  SOMERVILLE 


S.  J.  QUINN,  Historian 


1908 

The  Hermitage  Press,  Inc. 

Richmond,  Va. 


Copyright,  1908, 

On  all  original  matter  herein, 

By 

H.  B.  Lane,  Chairman  of  History  Committee, 

for  the  City  of  Fredericksburg,  Va. 


Iriitraiton 


TO  THE   MEMORY  OF  THOSE  WHO   BRAVED    THE    DANGERS   OF    LAND    AND 
WATER  IN  1608,  AND  DISCOVERED  THE  SPOT  UPON  WHICH  THE  CITY  OF 
FREDERICKSBURG,  VIRGINIA,  NOW  STANDS,  AND   TO   THOSE  WHO 
WROUGHT  SO  HEROICALLY  AND  SUCCESSFULLY  IN  THE  SET- 
TLEMENT AND  PROSPERITY  OF  THE  SAID  CITY  TO  THE 
PRESENT  TIME,    1908,    A  PERIOD    OF   THREE    HUN- 
DRED YEARS,  THESE  PAGES  ARE  RESPECTFUL- 
LY AND  AFFECTIONATELY  DEDICATED   BY 
•    THE  PRESENT  COMMON  COUNCIL  OF 
THE  CITY  OF  FREDERICKSBURG 


141&601 


PREFACE 


To  Messrs.  H.  B.  Lane,  Wm.  E.  Bradley  and  Prof.  S.  W.  Somer- 
ville,  Committee  on  History  of  the  Common  Council: 

Gentlemen — When  I  was  requested  by  your  predecessors  to 
write  a  history  of  Fredericksburg,  I  regarded  it  as  quite  an  honor, 
and  in  the  discharge  of  the  duty  I  have  found  great  pleasure. 
Not  that  the  material  needed  was  ready  at  hand  and  the  task  was 
easy,  but  because  I  found  so  many  of  the  best  of  our  citizens  eager 
to  assist  in  getting  the  material  together,  that  had  been  laid  away 
for  ages,  and  placing  it  at  my  disposal.  Moreover,  their  kind 
words  very  much  encouraged  me,  and  I  wish  I  could  here  record 
their  names,  but  as  it  might  not  be  proper,  I  take  much  pleasure 
in  extending  to  them  my  grateful  thanks. 

The  records  concerning  the  town  reach  back  only  to  the  close 
of  the  Eevolutionary  war.  If  Major  Lawrence  Smith,  who  con- 
structed the  fort  and  governed  the  settlers  by  military  law  or  "as  a 
county  court  might  do,"  ever  kept  any  records  of  his  acts,  we  have 
been  unable  to  find  them,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  Trustees  who 
had  the  managment  of  the  town  from  the  time  it  was  "laid  out  by 
law,"  until  it  was  chartered  by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia.  There- 
fore, much  that  is  found  in  the  following  pages  in  reference  to 
"the  olden  time,"  came  from  families  who  had  preserved  it  in 
various  forms  for  many  generations. 

In  presenting  this  history  it  is  not  claimed  that  all  is  said  about 
Fredericksburg  that  could  have  been  said  or  that  incidents  have  not 
been  related  as  others  have  heard  them,  but  it  is  believed  that  all 
important  events  have  been  referred  to  and  incidents  given  as  they 
have  been  related  to  us  by  those  well  informed  and  who  were  re- 
garded as  authority  on  such  matters.  Nor  is  there  any  claim  made 
for  originality.  The  book  is  intended  to  be  a  history  of  Fredericks- 
burg, and  "history  is  a  narration  of  facts  and  events  which  may 
be  given  chronologically  or  topically,"  therefore  we  have  written  in 
the  main  what  others  have  spoken  and  have  disregarded  chronology 

[5] 


6  Preface 

and  even  the  arrangement  of  subjects.  But  it  is  believed  that  the 
arrangement  herein  is  probably  best  adapted  to  impress  the  reader 
with  the  splendid  history  of  the  town  and  the  magnificent  achieve- 
ments of  her  sons  and  those  men  of  fame  who  sprang  from  her 
immediate  vicinity. 

It  is  believed  this  book  will  be  welcomed  by  all  citizens  and  their 
friends,  whether  those  friends  be  former  residents  or  descendants 
of  such,  or  those  veteran  soldiers  on  either  side  of  the  late  Civil 
Contest  who  performed  such  gallant  deeds  upon  our  hills  and  with- 
in our  valleys.  No  soldier  of  either  army — the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac or  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia — can  ever  forget  Fred- 
ericksburg. It  was  in  the  four  great  battles  fought  in  and  around 
Fredericksburg  that  he  won  imperishable  glory  as  an  American 
soldier,  that  name  which  to-day  is  written  on  the  highest  pinnacle 
of  military  fame. 

No  living  citizen,  or  the  descendant  of  such  noble  sires,  whereso- 
ever dispersed,  can  ever  forget  the  town  or  lineage  from  which  he 
sprang.  None  such  can  ever  fail  to  appreciate  those  citizens,  who, 
in  the  most  trying  times,  and  under  the  most  adverse  circumstances, 
were  conspicuous  for  their  love  and  loyalty,  suffering  and  sacrifice, 
daring  and  doing  for  home  and  country. 

Let  their  deeds  and  sacrifices  be  preserved  for  imitation  of  future 
generations,  which  is  one  of  the  objects  of  this  book. 
Very  respectfully, 

S.  J.  QUINN. 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Facing  Page 

Baptist  Church 132 

Butterfield  Monument 288 

Capt.  S.  J.  Quinn  Frontispiece 

Catholic  Church 272 

Chancellorsville  Tavern   82 

Charity  School   232 

Christian  Church  240 

Church  of  Ood  304 

City  Hall   192 

Com.  M.  F.  Maury 320 

Confederate  Cemetery 122 

Confederate  Monument 264 

Court  House   22 

Eagle   Hotel    182 

Entrance  to  Confederate  Cemetery  222 

Entrance  to  National  Cemetery  250 

Exchange  Hotel   172 

Federal  Hill    32 

Fire  Department    232 

First  Mayor's  Residence 182 

Forsythe's  Birthplace    102 

Fredericksburg  College 172 

Fredericksburg  from  Ma  rye's  Heights 12 

Fredericksburg  from  Stafford  Heights 12 

Free  Bridge 22 

Free  Lance— Star  Office 248 

Hon.  Montgomery  Slaughter  72 

Jackson  Monument   202 

Kenmore  212 

Ma  rye  Mansion 328 

Mary  Washington  House 32 

Mary  Washington  Monument 52 


List  of  Illustrations . 

Facing  Page 

Masonic  Lodge  222 

Meditation  Rock 152 

Mercer  Monument    92 

Methodist  Church    162 

M.  W.  M.  Lodge 142 

Old  Planters'  Hotel  290 

( >pera  House  290 

Postoffice  280 

Power  Dam  152 

Presbyterian  Church   102 

Presbyterian  Memorial  Chapel G2 

Public  School    288 

Remarkable  Tombstone 204 

R.,  F.  &  P.  R.  R.  Bridge 312 

Rising  Sun  Tavern 52 

Section  Stone  Wall   112 

Sentry  Box    102 

Shilol'i  Church.  N.  S 304 

Shiloh  Church,  ().  S 272 

Stevens  House \l>2 

St.  George's  Church 02 

Stone  House 92 

Sunken  Road 82 

Superintendent's  Lodge 250 

Trinity  Church  240 

Trustees'  Office   112 

Union  House  212 

View  on  Princess  Anne  St 42 

AVallace  Library  142 

Water  Power  Office 328 

Wm.  Paul's  Gravestone 280 


CONTENTS 


Chapter  I 

Captain  John  Smith  Explores  the  Eappahannock  Eiver — The 
Flight  of  Pocahontas — Major  Lawrence  Smith's  Fort — 
Governor   Spotswood's  Miners   at   Germanna,        -        -     11 

Chapter  II 

The  Knights  of  the  Golden  Horse  Shoe — Governor  Spots- 
wood's  Expedition  over  the  Blue  Ridge  Mountains,        -    27 

Chapter  III 

Fredericksburg  Incorporated  by  the  House  of  Burgesses — Col. 
Byrd  Walks  about  Town — A  Church  Building  Erected — 
Rev.  Patrick  Henry  Rector — Augustine  Washington  a 
Town  Trustee — Stock  Fairs  Inaugurated — Limits  of  the 
Town  Extended, 37 

Chapter  IV 

Encouraging  Home  Industries — Further  Extension  of  the 
Town — Tobacco  Inspectors  Appointed — Modes  of  Punish- 
ing Criminals — Prosperity — Military  Ardor — Under  the 
United  States  Government — A  New  Order  of  Things,      -    46 

Chapter  Y 

Lease  of  the  Market-House  Lots — The  First  Serious  Fire — 
Fredericksburg  an  Important  Center — An  Act  Concern- 
ing Elections — Half  of  the  Town  Destroyed  by  Fire — 
Fredericksburg  an  Important  Postal  Point — How  the 
Mails  were  Carried — A  Congressional  Investigation — 
Amendatory  Acts  of  1821— The  Great  Fire  of  1822— The 
Trade  of  the  Town — Contagious  Diseases — The  Town  in 
1841— Acts  of  Extension,  1851,  1852,  1858,  1861,         -     57 

[7] 


8  Contents 

Chapter  VI 

The  War  Clouds  Gather — Fredericksburg  in  the  Southern 
Confederacy — Troops  Raised  and  Equipped — Town  Sur- 
rendered to  Federal  Authorities! — Citizens  Arrested  and 
Held  as  Hostages — Thrilling  Evacuating  Scenes — Citi- 
zens Flee  from  their  Homes — Bombardment  of  the  Town,     71 

Chapter  VII 

The  Great  Battle— The  Town  Sacked  by  Soldiers— The  Fed- 
erals Recross  the  River — A  Great  Revival  of  Religion — 
The  Battle  of  Chancellorsville — Gen.  Sedgewick  Captures 
the  Town — The  Wilderness  Campaign — Many  Noncom- 
batant  Citizens  Arrested  and  Imprisoned — A  Statement 
by  the  Council — The  Citizens  and  Federal  Soldiers  Re- 
leased,  ----------90 

Chapter  VIII 

The  Armies  Transferred  to  Richmond  and  Petersburg — Gen. 
Lee  Surrenders  his  Army — Citizens  Return  Home — Action 
of  the  City  Council — Fredericksburg  Again  Under  the  Old 
Flag — The  Assassination  of  President  Lincoln  Denounc- 
ed— Reconstruction  Commenced — An  Election  Set  Aside 
by  the  Military — All  Civil  Offices  Set  Aside  and  Strang- 
ers Appointed — The  Financial  Condition  of  the  Town — 
The  Town  Again  in  the  Hands  of  its  Citizens — Splendid 
Financial  Showing,        -------  107 

Chapter  IX 

The  Courts  of  Fredericksburg — The  Freedman's  Bureau — 
Court  Orders  and  Incidents — First  Night  Watch  Ap- 
pointed— Ministers  Qualify  to  Perform  Marriage  Cere- 
mony— First  Notary  Public — Fixing  the  Value  of  Bank 
Notes — Prison  Bounds  for  Debtors — Church  Buildings,  123 

Chapter  X 
Public  Buildings— Court  House— The  Jail— Town  Hall— Fire 
Department — School  Buildings — Wallace   Library — Nor- 
mal School — Government  Building,         -  136 


Contents  9 

Chapter  XI 

Ancient  and  Historical  Buildings — Mary  Washington  Monu- 
ment— General  Mercer's  Statute — Mary  Washington's 
Will, 148 

Chapter  XII 

Hotels  of  the  Town,  old  and  new — Agricultural  Fairs  and  Toll 
Bridges — Care  of  the  Dependent  Poor — City  Water  Works 
— City  Gas  Works — Electric  Light — Telephone  Company 
— Fire  Department,         -         -         -        -         -         -        -164 

Chapter  XIII 

Volunteer  Militia — The  Confederate  Cemetery — The  National 
Cemetery — The  Confederate  Veterans — The  Sons  of  Con- 
federate Veterans — The  Schools,  Private  and  Public,         -  182 

Chapter  XIV 
The  Churches  of  Fredericksburg,    ------  202 

Chapter  XV 

Charitable  and  Benevolent  Societies — Mary  Washington  Hos- 
pital— Newspapers  and  Periodicals — Political  Excitement 
— Strong  Resolutions  Against  the  Administration — An 
Address  Approving  the  President's  Foreign  Policy — The 
Names  of  Those  who  Signed  the  Address,         -         -         -  217 

Chapter  XVI 

Distinguished  Men  Buried  in  Fredericksburg — A  Remarkable 
Grave  Stone — Three  Heroic  Fredericksburgers,  Wellford, 
Herndon,  Willis — The  Old  Liberty  Bell  Passes  Through 
Town — Great  Demonstration  in  its  Honor — What  a 
Chinaman  Thought  of  it,        -        -        -        -        -        -  235 

Chapter  XVII 

Visits  of  Heroes — Gala  Days — The  Army  of  the  Society  of  the 

Potomac  Enters  the  Town,    -        -        -         -        -         -251 


10  Contents 

Chapter  XVIII 

The  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  Continued — Welcome 

Address — Laying  a  Corner  Stone,  -----  263 

Chapter  XIX 

Doctor  Walker's  Expedition — Bacon's  Rebellion,  so-called — 
The  Fredericksburg  Declaration — The  Great  Orator — 
Resolutions  of  Separation — The  Virginia  Bill  of  Rights,  280 

Chapter  XX 

Declaration  of  Separation — The  Declaration  of  Independence 
— Washington  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Armies — John 
Paul  Jones  Raises  the  First  Flag — First  to  Throw  the 
Stars  and  Stripes  to  the  Breeze — Fredericksburg  Fur- 
nishes the  Head  of  the  Army  and  Navy — The  Constitu- 
tion of  the  United  States, 292 

Chapter  XXI 

The  First  Proclamation  for  Public  Thanksgiving — Pennsyl- 
vania Whiskey  Rebellion — John  Marshall  and  the  Su- 
preme Court— Religious  Liberty — The  Monroe  Doctrine — 
Seven  Presidents — Clarke  Saves  the  Great  Northwest — 
The  Vast  Western  Territory  Explored — The  Louisiana 
Purchase — The  Florida  Purchase — Texas  Acquired — The 
War  with  Mexico  and  its  Rich  Results — The  Oceans 
Sounded,  Measured  and  Mapped — The  Ladies'  Memorial 
Association — The  Mary  Washington  Monument — Gen- 
earl  Mercer's   Statue, -        -  306 

Chapter  XXII 

Fredericksburg  at  Present — The  Health  of  the  City — its  Fin- 
ancial Solidity — Its  Commercial  Prosperity — Its  Lines  of 
Transportation — Its  Water  Power — Its  Official  Calendar 
— List  of  Mayors,  --------  322 

Official  Calendar— September  1,  1908 333 

Mayors  of  Fredericksburg  in  Their  Chronological  Order  -         -  336 


HISTORY 


City  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia, 

FROM  ITS 

Settlement  to  the   Present  Time 


CHAPTER  I 

Capt.  John  Smith  Explores  the  Rappahannock  River — The  Flight 
of  Pocahontas — Maj.  Smith's  Fort — Gov.  SpotswoooVs  Miners 
at  Germanna. 

In  what  year  the  white  man  first  set  his  foot  upon  the  present 
site  of  Fredericksburg  is  not  certainly  known.  The  mind  of  man, 
of  the  present  generation,  does  not  run  back  to  that  time,  and  if  the 
first  white  visitor  to  the  place  thought  it  of  sufficient  importance 
to  make  a  note  of  it  that  note  was  not  preserved;  or,  if  it  was,  it 
is  unknown  to  the  present  inhabitants  of  the  town,  unless  that  visi- 
tor was  Captain  John  Smith. 

It  is  stated  that  after  John  Smith  was  captured  by  the  Indians, 
while  on  his  trip  exploring  the  Chickahominy,  his  captors  marched 
him  through  the  country,  amid  great  rejoicing,  visiting  the  Indian 
towns  on  the  Pamunkey,  Mattapony,  Piankitank,  Rappahannock 
and  Potomac  rivers,  but  it  is  not  stated  that  he  was  taken  as  high 
up  the  Rappahannock  as  the  falls.  This  trip  through  the  country, 
however,  while  it  was  attended  with  hideous  yells,  cheers  and  all 
sorts  of  mournful  noises  by  the  excited  throng,  gave  John  Smith 
some  idea  of  the  rich  and  fertile  valleys,  the  beautiful  rivers  that 
flowed  from  the  mountains,  and  a  desire  to  explore  them  if  he 
should  be  fortunate  enough  to  get  back  to  the  English  settlement 
alive. 

[11  ] 


12  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

For  soon  after  his  release,  in  writing  of  the  discoveries,  having 
already  explored  the  Chesapeake  bay,  he  says  :*  "There  is  but  one 
entrance  by  sea  into  this  country,  and  that  is  at  the  mouth  of  a 
very  goodly  bay,  the  wideness  whereof  is  near  eighteen  or  twenty 
miles.  The  cape  on  the  south  is  called  Cape  Henry,  in  honor  of 
our  most  noble  Prince.  The  show  of  the  land  there  is  a  white  hilly 
sand  like  unto  the  Downes,  and  along  the  shores  great  plenty  of 
pines  and  firs.  The  north  cape  is  called  Cape  Charles,  in  honor  of 
the  worthy  Duke  of  York. 

<rWithin  is  a  country  that  may  have  the  prerogative  over  the  most 
pleasant  places  of  Europe,  Asia,  Africa  or  America  and  for  large 
and  pleasant  navigable  rivers,  heaven  and  earth  never  agreed  better 
to  frame  a  place  for  man's  habitation,  being  of  our  constitutions, 
were  it  fully  manured  and  inhabited  by  industrious  people.  Here 
are  mountains,  hills,  plains,  valleys,  rivers  and  brooks,  all  running 
most  pleasantly  to  a  fair  bay,  compassed,  but  for  the  mouth,  with 
fruitful  and  delightsome  land.  In  the  bay  and  rivers  are  many 
isles,  both  great  and  small,  some  woody,  some  plain,  most  of  them 
low  and  not  inhabited.  This  bay  lies  north  and  south,  in  which 
the  water  flows  near  two  hundred  miles  and  has  a  channel  for  one 
hundred  and  forty  miles  of  depth  betwixt  seven  and  fifteen  fathoms, 
holding  in  breadth,  for  the  most  part,  ten  or  fifteen  miles.  From  the 
head  of  the  bay  at  the  north,  the  land  is  mountainous,  and  so  in  a 
manner  from  thence  by  a  southwest  line.  So  that  the  more  south- 
ward, the  further  off  from  the  bay  are  those  mountains,  from  which 
fall  certain  brooks,  which  after  come  to  five  principal  navigable 
rivers.  These  run  from  the  northwest  into  the  southeast,  and  so 
into  the  west  side  of  the  bay,  where  the  fall  of  every  river  is  within 
twenty  or  fifteen  miles  one  of  another." 

Early  in  the  year  of  1608,  his  life  having  been  saved  by  Poca- 
hontas, John  Smith  made  a  number  of  trips,  exploring  the  rivers 
of  this  section  of  Virginia,  entered  the  mouth  of  the  Rappa- 
hannock and,  but  for  an  accident  that  befell  him,  might  have  con- 
tinued his  trip  to  the  falls. 

They  found  fish  in  abundance  in  all  the  streams  and,  "near  the 


•  Description  of  Virginia  by  Smith,  his  spelling  modernized. 


'TK'Jh 


f       FROM  MARYES  HEIGHTS, 

GROUND  OVER  WHICH 
FEDERAL  TROOPS  ADVANCED 


View  of  Fredericksburg  from  Marye's  Mansion,   showing  ground  charged  over 
by  Federals  in  battle  1862.  Confederate  line  at  fence. 
(See  page  91) 


... 


View  of  Fredericksburg  from  Stafford  Heights,  where  Federal  guns 
were  located  in  1862,  showing  the  old  Scott  bridge. 
(See  page  171) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  13 

mouth  of  the  Rappahannock,  Smith  plunged  his  sword  into  a 
singular  fish  like  a  'thornback/  with  a  long  tail  and  from  it  a 
poisoned  sting.  In  taking  it  off  it  drove  the  sting  into  his  wrist, 
producing  a  torturing  pain,  and  in  a  few  hours  the  whole  hand, 
arm  and  shoulder  had  swollen  so  fearfully  that  death  seemed 
inevitable.  He  pointed  out  a  place  for  his  grave,  and  his  men,  with 
heavy  hearts,  prepared  it.  But  Dr.  Russell  applied  the  probe  and 
used  an  oil  with  such  success  that  Smith  was  soon  well  and  ate  a 
part  of  the  same  fish  for  supper."* 

Some  writers  contend  that  it  was  while  on  this  trip  that  Smith 
came  up  the  Eappahannock  to  the  falls  and  had  a  battle  with  the 
Indians,  but  this  is  a  mistake.  This  trip  was  commenced  on  the 
20th  of  June,  1608,  and  it  was  directly  after  entering  the  mouth  of 
the  river  that  he  saw  so  many  fish  in  the  clear  stream  and  caught 
one  on  the  point  of  his  sword;  for  Russell,  the  physician,  who  ac- 
companied him,  says  after  Smith  was  thought  to  have  been  fatally 
poisoned,  "having  neither  surgeon  or  surgery,  but  that  preservative 
oil,  we  presently  set  sail  for  Jamestown.  Passing  the  mouth  of  the 
Piankatank  and  Pamunkey  rivers,  the  next  day  we  safely  arrived 
at  Kecaughtan."f  If  Smith  had  been  very  far  up  the  Rappa- 
hannock he  could  not  have  passed  the  mouth  of  these  two  rivers  the 
next  day. 

The  voyage  that  Smith  made,  during  which  he  explored  the 
Rappahannock  river  to  the  falls,  was  commenced  on  the  24th  of 
July,  more  than  a  month  after  he  entered  the  mouth  of  the  river 
and  was  stung  by  the  fish  which  turned  him  back.  As  this  trip  up 
the  river  is  of  great  interest,  being  the  first  made  by  white  men, 
it  is  here  given  in  full  as  narrated  by  Anthony  Bagnall,  Powell  and 
Todkill,  Smith's  companions,  who  wrote  it  down  at  the  time.  They 
say: 

"In  the  discovery  of  this  river,  that  some  called  Rappahannock, 
we  were  kindly  entertained  by  the  people  of  Moraughtacund.  Here 
we  encountered  our  old  friend  Mosco,  a  lusty  savage  of  Wigh- 
conisco,   upon  the  river  Patawomeck    [Potomac].     We  supposed 


*  Howlson's  U.  S.  History,  from  Smith. 
f  Walter  Russell,  in  Smith. 


14  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

him  some  Frenchman's  son  because  he  had  a  thick,  black,  bushy, 
beard,  and  the  savages  seldom  have  any  at  all,  of  which  he  was  not 
a  little  proud  to  see  so  many  of  his  countrymen.  Wood  and  water 
he  would  fetch  us,  guide  us  any  whether;  nay,  cause  divers  of  his 
countrymen  help  us  tow  against  wind  or  tide  from  place  to  place 
till  we  came  to  Patawomeck. 

"The  next  morning  we  went  up  the  river,  [Rappahannock]  and 
our  friend  Mosco  followed  us  along  the  shore,  and  at  last  desired  to 
go  with  us  in  our  boat.  But,  as  we  passed  by  Pisacack,  Matchopeak 
and  Mecuppom,  three  towns  situated  upon  high  white  cliffs;  the 
other  side  all  a  low  plain  marsh,  and  the  river  there  but  narrow, 
thirty  or  forty  of  the  Rapahanocks  had  so  accommodated  themselves 
with  branches,  as  we  took  them  for  little  bushes  growing  among 
the  sedge,  till  seeing  their  arrows  strike  the  targets  and  drop  in  the 
river;  whereat  Mosco  fell  flat  in  the  boat  on  his  face,  crying,  the 
Rapahanocks,  which  presently  we  espide  to  be  the  bushes,  which,  at 
our  first  volley  fell  down  in  the  sedge:  when  we  were  near  half  a 
mile  from  them,  they  showed  themselves  dancing  and  singing  very 
merrily. 

"The  kings  of  Pessassack,  Nandtaughtacund  and  Cultatawoman, 
used  us  kindly,  and  all  their  people  neglected  not  anything  to 
Mosco  to  bring  us  to  them. 

"Betwixt  Secobeck  and  Massawteck  is  a  small  isle  or  two  which 
cause  the  river  to  be  broader  than  ordinary ;  there  it  pleased  God  to 
take  one  of  our  company  called  Master  Fetherstone  [Richard 
Fetherstone,  Gent.],  that  all  the  time  he  had  been  in  this  country, 
had  behaved  himself  honestly,  valiantly  and  industriously;  where 
in  a  little  bay,  called  Fetherstone's  bay,  we  buried  him  with  a  volly 
of  shot:  the  rest,  not  withstanding  their  ill  diet  and  bad  lodging 
crowded  in  so  small  a  barge,  in  so  many  dangers,  never  resting,  but 
always  tossed  to  and  again,  had  all  well  recovered  their  healths. 

"The  next  day  we  sailed  so  high  as  our  boat  would  float;  there 
setting  up  crosses  and  graving  our  names  in  the  trees.  Our  sen- 
tinel saw  an  arrow  fall  by  him,  though  we  had  ranged  up  and  down 
more  than  an  hour,  in  digging  in  the  earth,  looking  of  stones,  herbs 
and  springs,  not  seeing  where  a  savage  could  well  hide  himself. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  15 

"Upon  the  alarm,  by  that  we  had  recovered  our  arms  there  was 
about  an  hundred  nimble  Indians  skipping  from  tree  to  tree,  letting 
fly  their  arrows  so  fast  as  they  could ;  the  trees  here  served  us  as 
baricades  as  well  as  they.  But  Mosco  did  us  more  service  than  we 
expected;  for  having  shot  away  his  quiver  of  arrows  he  ran  to  the 
boat  for  more.  The  arrows  of  Mosco  at  the  first  made  them  pause 
upon  the  matter,  thinking  by  his  bruit  and  skipping,  there  were 
many  savages.  About  half  an  hour  this  continued,  then  they  all 
vanished  as  suddenly  as  they  approached.  Mosco  followed  them  so 
far  as  he  could  see  us,  till  they  were  out  of  sight.  As  we  returned 
there  lay  a  savage  as  dead,  shot  in  the  knee ;  but  taking  him  up  we 
found  he  had  life:  which  Mosco  seeing,  never  was  dog  more  furi- 
ous against  a  bear,  than  Mosco  was  to  beat  out  his  brains.  So  we 
had  him  to  our  boat  where  our  Chirurgian  [A.  Bagnall],  who  went 
with  us  to  cure  our  Captain's  hurt  of  the  stingray,  so  dressed  this 
savage  that  within  an  hour  after  he  looked  somewhat  cheerfully 
and  did  eat  and  speak.  In  the  mean  time  we  contented  Mosco  in 
helping  him  to  gather  up  their  arrows,  which  were  an  armful; 
whereof  he  gloried  not  a  little. 

"Then  we  desired  Mosco  to  know  what  he  was  and  what  countries 
were  beyond  the  mountains;  the  poor  savage  mildly  answered,  he 
and  all  with  him  were  of  Hassininga,  where  there  are  three  kings 
more,  like  unto  them,  namely  the  King  of  Stegora,  the  King  of 
Tauxsintania  and  the  King  of  Shakahonea,  that  were  come  to 
Mohaskahod,  which  is  only  a  hunting  town,  and  the  bounds  betwixt 
the  Kingdom  of  the  Mannahocks  and  the  Nandtaughtacunds,  but 
hard  by  where  we  were. 

"We  demanded  why  they  came  in  that  manner  to  betray  us,  that 
came  to  them  in  peace  and  to  seek  their  loves;  he  answered,  they 
heard  we  were  a  people  come  from  under  the  world,  to  take  their 
world  from  them. 

"We  asked  him  how  many  worlds  he  did  know;  he  replied,  he 
knew  no  more  but  that  which  was  under  the  sky  that  covered  him, 
which  were  the  Powhatans,  with  the  Monacans  and  the  Massawo- 
meks  that  were  higher  up  in  the  mountains. 

"Then  we  asked  him  what  was  beyond  the  mountains,  he  answered 


16  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

the  sun;  but  of  anything  else  he  knew  nothing  because  the  woods 
were  not  burnt.  [A  foot  note  says  'they  cannot  travel  but  where 
the  woods  are  burnt.'] 

"These  and  many  such  questions  were  demanded  concerning 
the  Massawomecks,  the  Monacans,  their  own'  country  and  where 
were  the  kings  of  Stegora,  Tauxsintania  and  the  rest.  The  Mon- 
acans, he  said,  were  their  neighbors  and  friends,  and  did  dwell  as 
they  in  the  hilly  countries  by  small  rivers,  living  upon  roots  and 
fruits,  but  chiefly  by  hunting.  The  Massawomeks  did  well  upon 
a  great  water,  and  had  many  boats,  and  so  many  men  that  they 
made  war  with  all  the  world.  For  their  kings,  they  were  gone 
every  one  a  several  way  with  their  men  on  hunting.  But  those 
with  him  came  thither  a  fishing  till  they  saw  us,  notwithstanding 
they  would  be  all  together  at  night  at  Mahaskahod. 

"For  his  relation  we  gave  him  many  toys,  with  persuations  to  go 
with  us :  and  he  as  earnestly  desired  us  to  stay  the  coming  of  those 
kings  that  for  his  good  usage  should  be  friends  with  us,  for  he  was 
brother  to  Hassininga.  But  Mosco  advised  us  presently  to  be  gone, 
for  they  were  all  naught;  yet  we  told  him  we  would  not  till  it  was 
night.  All  things  we  made  ready  to  entertain  what  came,  and 
Mosco  was  as  dilligent  in  triming  his  arrows. 

"The  night  being  come  we  all  embarked,  for  the  river  was  so 
narrow,  had  it  been  light  the  land  on  the  one  side  was  so  high  they 
might  have  done  us  exceeding  much  mischief.  All  this  while  the 
King  of  Hassininga  was  seeking  the  rest,  and  had  consultation  a 
good  time  what  to  do.  But  by  their  spies  seeing  we  were  gone,  it 
was  not  long  before  we  heard  their  arrows  dropping  on  every  side 
the  boat ;  we  caused  our  savages  to  call  unto  them,  but  such  a  yell- 
ing and  hallowing  they  made  that  they  heard  nothing,  but  now  and 
then  [we  shot  off]  a  piece,  aiming  so  near  as  we  could  where  we 
heard  the  most  voices.  Moor  than  twelve  miles  they  followed  us  in 
this  manner;  then  the  day  appearing,  we  found  ourselves  in  a  broad 
bay  out  of  danger  of  their  shot,  where  we  came  to  an  anchor,  and 
fell  to  breakfast.  Not  so  much  as  speaking  to  them  till  the  sun  was 
risen. 

"Being  well  refreshed,  we  untied  our  targets  that  covered  us  as  a 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  17 

deck,  and  all  showed  ourselves  with  those  shields  on  our  arms,  and 
swords  in  our  hands,  and  also  our  prisoner  Amoroleck.  A  long  dis- 
course there  was  betwixt  his  countrymen  and  him,  how  good 
we  were,  how  well  we  used  him,  how  we  had  a  Patawomek  with  us 
[who]  loved  us  as  his  life  that  would  have  slain  him  had  we  not 
preserved  him,  and  that  he  should  have  his  liberty  would  they  be 
his  friends ;  and  to  do  us  any  hurt  it  was  impossible. 

"Upon  this  they  all  hung  their  bows  and  quivers  upon  the  trees, 
and  one  came  swiming  aboard  us  with  a  bow  tied  on  his  head,  and 
another  with  a  quiver  of  arrows,  which  they  delivered  our  Captain 
as  a  present:  the  Captain  having  used  them  so  kindly  as  he  could 
told  them  the  other  three  Kings  should  do  the  like,  and  then  the 
great  ,King  of  our  world  should  be  their  friend ;  whose  men  we  were. 
It  was  no  sooner  demanded  than  performed,  so  upon  a  low  moorish 
point  of  land  we  went  to  the  shore,  where  those  four  Kings  came 
and  received  Amoroleck:  nothing  they  had  but  bows,  arrows, 
tobacco-bags  and  pipes :  when  we  desired,  none  refused  to  give  us, 
wondering  at  everything  we  had,  and  heard  we  had  done :  Our 
pistols  they  took  for  pipes,  which  they  much  desired,  but  we  did 
content  them  with  other  commodities.  And  so  we  left  four  or  five 
hundred  of  our  merry  Mannahocks  singing,  dancing  and  making 
merry  and  set  sale  for  Moraughtacund. 

"In  our  returns  we  visited  all  our  friends,  that  rejoiced  much  at 
our  victory  against  the  Mannahocks,  who  many  times  had  wars  also 
with  them,  but  now  they  were  friends;  and  desired  we  should  be 
friends  with  the  Eapahanocks.  Our  Captain  told  them,  they  had 
twice  assaulted  him  that  came  only  in  love  to  do  them  good,  and, 
therefore,  now  he  would  burn  all  their  houses,  destroy  their  corn, 
and  forever  hold  them  his  enemies  till  they  made  him  satisfaction. 
They  desired  to  know  what  that  should  be.  He  told  them  they 
should  present  him  the  King's  bow  and  arrows,  and  not  offer  to 
come  armed  where  he  was;  that  they  should  be  friends  with  the 
Moraughtacunds,  his  friends,  and  give  him  their  King's  son  in 
pledge  to  perform  it ;  and  then  all  King  James  and  his  men  should 
be  their  friends.  Upon  this  they  presently  sent  to  the  Eapa- 
hanocks to  meet  him  at  the  place  where  they  first  fought  where 


18  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

would  be  the  Kings  of  Nantantacund  and  Pissassae :  which  accord- 
ing to  their  promise  were  there  so  soon  as  we;  where  Rapahanock 
presented  his  bow  and  arrows,  and  confirmed  all  we  desired,  except 
his  son,  having  no  more  but  him  he  could  not  live  without  him, 
but  instead  of  his  son  he  would  give  him  the  three  women  Moraugh- 
tacund  had  stolen.  This  was  accepted :  and  so  in  three  or  four 
canoes  so  many  as  could  went  with  us  to  Moraughtacund,  where 
Mosco  made  them  such  relations,  and  gave  to  his  friends  so  many 
bows  and  arrows,  that  they  no  less  loved  him  than  admired  us. 
The  three  women  were  brought  our  Captain,  to  each  he  gave  a  chain 
of  beads :  and  then  causing  Moraughtacund,  Mosco  and  Rapahanock 
stand  before  him,  bid  Rapahanock  take  her  he  loved  best,  and 
Moraughtacund  choose  next,  and  to  Mosco  he  gave  the  third. 
Upon  this  away  went  their  canoes  over  the  water,  to  fetch  their 
venison,  and  all  the  provision  they  could;  and  they  that  wanted 
boats  swam  over  the  river.  The  dark  [darkness]  commanded  us 
then  to  rest. 

"The  next  day  there  was  of  men,  women  and  children,  as  we  con- 
jectured, six  or  seven  hundred,  dancing  and  singing;  and  not  a 
bow  nor  arrow  seen  amongst  them.  Mosco  changed  his  name  to 
Uttasantasough,  which  we  interpret  stranger,  for  so  they  call  us. 
All  promising  ever  to  be  our  friends  and  to  plant  corn  purposely 
for  us ;  and  we  to  provide  hatchets,  beads  and  copper  for  them,  we 
departed ;  giving  them  a  volley  of  shot,  and  they  us  as  loud  shouts 
and  cries  as  their  strenghs  could  utter." 

This  account  of  Capt.  Smith's  exploration  of  the  Rappahannock 
river,  and  the  country  bordering  on  the  stream  is  highly  interesting 
for  three  reasons.  It  shows  beyond  dispute,  we  think,  that  Capt. 
Smith  and  his  little  band  were  the  first  white  men  to  tread  the  soil 
where  is  now  located  the  city  of  Fredericksburg.  It  gives  us  a 
complete  history  of  the  voyage,  so  that  we  may  become  his  travell- 
ing companions  as  he  ascends  the  river,  encounters  the  Indians, 
prospects  for  gold  and  other  rich  deposits  in  the  earth  about  the 
falls;  also  as  he  descends  the  river  and  calls  the  Indian  kings  to- 
gether, makes  friends  of  them,  settles  differences  between  them 
and  their  tribes  and  sails  out  of  the  river  loaded  with  provisions, 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  19 

carrying  with  him  their  promise  that  they  will  raise  more  for  him 
in  the  future.  It  gives  us  the  names  of  many  of  the  tribes  of 
Indians,  on  the  Rappahannock,  their  kings,  towns  and  other  places, 
so  that  we  may  look  at  his  map  of  Virginia  and  locate  many  of 
them.  It  informs  us  that  Richard  Fetherstone,  who  accompanied 
Smith,  was  taken  sick  and  died  while  he  was  here  and  was  buried  in 
the  vicinity  of  Fredericksburg,  he  being  the  first  white  man  to  find 
sepulture  in  this  part  of  Virginia. 

The  locations  of  the  following  places,  found  on  Smith's  map  of 
Virginia,  and  mentioned  in  this  work,  will  be  of  interest  to  many, 
and  especially  to  those  who  are  familiar  with  the  country.  They 
seem  to  be  located  as  follows :  Secobeck  was  just  west  of  the  city's 
almshouse;  Massauteck  was  located  just  back  of  Chatham;  Fether- 
stone's  bay  is  in  Stafford,  opposite  the  upper  end  of  Hunter's 
Island;  Accoqueck  was  near  R.  Innis  Taylor's  residence;  Sockbeck 
was  in  the  neighborhood  of  J.  Bowie  Gray's;  Anasheroans  were 
about  Moss  Neck;  King  Nandtaughtacund  lived  near  Port  Royal; 
King  Cultatawoman  was  located  in  Stafford,  just  below  Snowdon; 
King  Pissassack  was  located  in  Westmoreland  county,  near  Leeds- 
town;  King  Tapahanock  lived  in  the  upper  part  of  Lancaster 
county;  Mahakahod  was  about  the  line  of  Stafford  and  Culpeper 
counties ;  Hassininga  was  about  Indian  Town  in  Orange  county ; 
Stegara  was  in  the  upper  part  of  Orange,  on  the  Rapid  Ann  river ; 
and  Tauxuntania  was  located  near  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Ridge  moun- 
tains. 

The  several  towns  at  and  near  the  falls  of  the  river  made  it  a 
general  rendezvous  of  all  tribes  for  this  part  of  Virginia.  It  was 
a  favorite  place  at  which  to  meet  for  hunting,  fishing  and  other 
sports,  as  was  the  case  when  Smith  reached  here.  It  is  more  than 
probable  that  the  beautiful  and  fascinating  Pocahontas,  who  saved 
the  life  of  John  Smith  and  who  captivated  the  bold  and  fearless 
Rolfe,  spent  some  time  at  this  point,  in  her  journeyings,  resting 
here  and  feasting  her  youthful  eyes  upon  the  magnificent  scenery  of 
the  Rappahannock  falls,  and  engaging  in  the  sports  and  pastimes  of 
her  distinguished  father's  subjects. 

We  are  told*  that  in  1611  she  was  entrusted  by  her  father.  Pow- 


*  Howe's  History  of  Virginia. 


20  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

hatan,  to  Chief  Japazaws,  who  carried  her  to  his  home  on  the  Poto- 
mac river,  where  she  lived  some  time  in  retirement — that  is,  away 
from  the  stirring  scenes  around  Jamestown.  It  is  not,  therefore, 
unreasonable  to  suppose  that  much  of  the  time  she  was  with  Japa- 
zaws was  spent  at  this  point,  the  favorite  gathering  place  of  all  the 
tribes  at  the  different  seasons  of  the  year. 

Why  Pocahontas  left  her  home  for  the  protection  of  Japazaws 
is  not  positively  known.  Howe  thinks  Powhatan  was  preparing 
for  a  great  war  with  the  new  settlers  and  wanted  to  get  his  daughter 
away  from  danger  and  the  exposure  and  discomfort  that  would 
result  from  such  a  conflict.  Stith  gives  no  reason,  "except  it  was 
to  withdraw  herself  from  being  a  witness  to  the  frequent  butcheries 
of  the  English,  whose  folly  and  rashness,  after  Smith's  departure, 
put  it  out  of  her  power  to  save  them." 

In  the  year  1612  Capt.  Argall  took  a  trip  up  the  Potomac  in 
search  of  corn  and  other  supplies  for  the  English  settlers,  fell  in 
with  the  old  chief  and  purchased  the  young  princess  from  him,  the 
price  agreed  upon  being  a  copper  kettle,  which  was  readily  given. 
This  prize  Argall  took  to  Jamestown,  where  he  hoped  to  receive  a 
considerable  sum  from  Powhatan  for  her  redemption,  but  the  old 
King  became  very  angry  and  refused  to  pay  anything,  but  declared 
he  preferred  to  fight  for  her.  The  young  princess  afterwards  mar- 
ried Capt.  John  Eolfe. 

At  what  time  the  first  settlement  was  made  at  Fredericksburg  is 
unknown,  but  it  must  have  been  at  a  very  early  date.  It  is  more 
than  likely  that  it  was  one  of  the  many  plantations  that  dotted  the 
banks  of  our  principal  rivers  in  the  early  settlement  of  the  country, 
for,  in  1622,  John  Smith  proposed  to  the  London  Company  "to 
protect  all  their  planters  from  the  James  to  the  Potomac"*  which 
territory  must  have  included  one  or  more  plantations  on  the  Rappa- 
hannock river,  because  it  lies  immediately  between  the  James  and 
Potomac  rivers  and  is  the  largest  stream  between  those  two  rivers. 
And  if  there  was  a  plantation  on  the  Rappahannock  it  was,  no  doubt, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Fredericksburg.  John  Smith  had  visited 
the  place  twelve  years  before  and  had  found  it  "beautiful  and  invit- 


*  Howe's  History. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  21 

ing"  and  an  excellent  place  for  a  settlement,  and  possibly  he  recom- 
mended and  procured  the  location  of  a  plantation  in  this  vicinity. 
■  But,  whether  or  not  this  supposition  be  true,  we  know  that  the 
Eappahannock  falls  some  years  afterwards  became  a  point  of  con- 
siderable interest  and  steps  were  taken  to  fortify  and  defend  it; 
and  for  that  purpose  a  fort  was  ordered  to  be  built  here  in  1676 
to  protect  settlers  from  the  incursions  of  the  Indians,  who  con- 
tinued troublesome,  which  was  garrisoned  by  quite  a  number  of  men. 
"At  a  grand  assemblie  held  at  James  cittie,  between  the  20th  of 
September,  1674,  and  the  17th  of  March,  1675,"  it  was  ordered  that 
"One  hundred  and  eleven  men  out  of  Gloucester  be  garrisoned  at 
one  ffort  or  place  of  defence,  at  or  near  the  ffalls  of  Eappahannock 
Eiver,  of  which  ffort  Major  Lawrence  Smith  to  be  Captain  or 
Chiefe  Commander,"  and  that  the  fort  be  furnished  with  "ffour 
hundred  and  eighty  pounds  of  powder  and  ffourteen  hundred  and 
fforty  three  pounds  of  Shott."* 

This  fort,  it  seems,  was  not  constructed  that  year,  but  in  1679y 
Major  Lawrence  Smith,  upon  his  own  suggestion,  was  authorized  to 
settle  or  "seate  down  at  or  near  said  fort  by  the  last  day  of  March, 
1681,"  which  we  are  informed  he  did,  and  to  have  in  'readiness, 
on  all  occasions  at  the  beating  of  a  drum,  fifty  able  men,  well 
armed,  with  sufficient  ammunition,  and  two  hundred  more  within 
the  space  of  a  mile  along  the  river,  prepared  always  to  march  twenty 
miles  in  any  direction  from  the  fort;  and  it  was  stipulated  that 
should  they  be  obliged  to  go  more  than  twenty  miles  distance,  they 
were  to  be  paid  for  their  time  thus  employed  at  the  rate  paid  to 
other  "soulders."  He  was  also  empowered  "to  execute  Martiall  dis- 
cipline" among  the  fifty  "souldiers  so  put  in  arms,"  both  in  times 
of  war  and  peace,  and  with  "two  others  of  said  privileged  place," 
he  was  to  hear  and  determine  all  cases,  civil  and  criminal,  that 
should  arise  in  said  limits,  as  a  county  court  might  do,  and  to  make 
by-laws  for  the  same.  These  military  settlers  were  privileged 
from  arrest  for  any  debts  except  those  due  the  King  and  those  con- 
tracted among  themselves,  and  were  free  from  taxes  and  levies  ex- 
cept from  those  laid  within  their  own  limits. 


•  Acts  of  House  of  Burgesses. 


22  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

This  fort  was  not  named  by  the  act  authorizing  its  construction, 
and  if  any  was  given  it  after  its  completion,  it  does  not  appear 
in  the  histories  or  records  at  our  disposal.  It  is  quite  likely  it  had 
some  designation,  if  nothing  more  than  the  Rappahannock  fort — 
Smith's  fort  on  the  Rapphannock — and  it  may  have  been  known 
by  one  or  the  other  until  the  place  was  laid  out  for  a  town  and  re- 
ceived its  present  name.  Or  it  may  have  been  known  as  "The 
Lease  Land,"  the  designation  it  had  when  it  was  incorporated 
forty-six  years  afterwards. 

It  has  been  sugggsted,  and  believed  by  some  few  to  be  true,  that 
this  fort  was  built  at  Germanna,  about  eighteen  miles  above  the 
Rappahannock  falls,  but  this  claim  cannot  be  maintained.  It  is 
known  that  .all  of  these  plantations  and  military  stations  were 
located  on  navigable  rivers  and  were  reached  and  communicated 
with  mostly,  if  not  exclusively,  by  sail  vessels,  and  it  is  not  reason- 
able to  suppose  that  this  fort  was  located  eighteen  miles  above  tide- 
water, where  it  could  not  be  reached  by  such  vessels.  In  addition 
to  this  objection,  it  may  be  added  that  the  "gallant  cavalier,  Gov- 
ernor Spotswood,  at  the  head  of  the  chivalry  of  Virginia,"  never 
made  his  dash  above  the  falls  to  the  "blue  ridge  of  mountains" 
until  the  year  1720*  [1716  is  the  correct  date],  nearly  fifty  years 
after  the  construction  of  the  fort  at  or  near  the  falls. 

Besides  this,  Governor  Spotswood  did  not  come  to  Virginia  as  Gov- 
ernor until  the  year  1710.  After  coming  to  this  country  he  became 
possessed  of  lands  on  the  Rappahannock,  at  the  mouth  of  Massa- 
ponax  run,  and  from  there  up  the  ridge,  west  of  Fredericksburg, 
to  the  Rapidan  river  at  Germanna.  We  do  not  know  when  he  be- 
came possessed  of  these  lands,  but  it  is  known  that  he  built  a  wharf 
near  the  mouth  of  Massaponax  run  and  opened  the  ridge  road  from 
there  to  Germanna,  now  called  Mine  Road,  over  which  he  hauled 
his  iron  ore  for  shipment.  And  so  it  was  said,  and  it  was  true, 
that  he  could  go  from  his  wharf  on  the  Rappahannock  to  Germanna 
on  the  Rapidan  on  his  own  lands  without  crossing  a  stream. 

Germanna  was  settled  in  April,  1714,  thirty-eight  years  after 
this  fort  was  built  and  thirty-four  years  before  Governor  Spots- 


*  Howe's  History  of  Virginia. 


The  Free  Bridge  over  tha  Rappahannock  River  to  Stafford  Heights. 
(See  page  171 > 


The  City  Court  House  and  Clerk's  Office. 
(See  page  142) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  23 

wood  came  to  Virginia.  It  was  settled  by  twelve  German  families, 
who  had  been  induced  by  Governor  Spotswood  to  come  over  from 
Gewnany  to  develop  the  iron  and  silver  mines  he  desired  opened 
on  his  land,  recently  acquired  by  him,  several  miles  above  the  falls. 
These  were  the  first  iron  mines  opened  and  operated  in  this  new 
country,  and  being  the  first  worker  in  iron  gave  him  the  honorable 
appellation  of  the  "Tubal  Cain  of  America." 

It  has  been  a  tradition  held  by  some  that  the  Germans,  who  set- 
tled Germanna,  came  to  this  country  as  paupers,  and  when  they 
landed  at  Tappahannock,  where  their  vessel  anchored,  they  were 
unable  to  pay  their  passage  and  were  virtually  sold  to  Governor 
Spotswood  for  a  term  of  years,  he  to  pay  the  passage  money  and 
furnish  the  land  upon  which  they  were  to  settle.  It  is  further  said 
that  he  induced  them  to  settle  on  the  river,  above  Fredericksburg, 
where  they  built  small  huts,  called  the  place  Germanna  and  opened 
the  mines  which  proved  so  remunerative  to  the  Governor. 

Much  of  this  statement,  however,  is  denied  by  the  descendants  of 
these  pioneers,  who  resent  the  charge  of  pauperism  and  show  that 
these  first  settlers  were  men  of  education,  were  skilled  miners,  and 
that  they  came  to  this  country  under  contract  with  Governor  Spots- 
wood,  bringing  with  them  letters  of  commendation  from  gentlemen 
of  influence  and  official  position. 

From  a  paper  prepared,  and  left  to  posterity,  by  Eev.  James 
Kemper,  a  grandson  of  the  emigrant,  John  Kemper,*  we  are  able  to 
cull  some  interesting  facts  connected  with  these  people,  who  became 
neighbors  and  friends  of  the  early  settlers  of  Fredericksburg,  and 
many  of  whose  descendants  are  now  among  us. 

These  Germans  "did  not  'happen'  to  come  to  Virginia,  but  came 
upon  the  invitation  of  the  Baron  de  Graffureid,  who  was  a  friend 
to  Governor  Spotswood,  and  for  the  express  purpose  of  developing 
the  iron  ore  deposits  discovered  by  the  latter  upon  his  lands  in  the 
present  county  of  Spotsylvania.  These  people  came  from  the  town 
of  Miisen,  which  was  then  in  the  old  province  of  Nassau  Siegen, 
Westphalia,  Germany.  At  Miisen  there  is  an  iron  mine  which  has 
been  worked  since  the  early  part  of  the  fourteenth  century,  and  is 


*  Furnished  by  Chas.  E.  Kemper,  Esq. 


24  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

operated  to  this  day.  They  were  skilled  workers  in  iron  and  steel 
from  the  Musen  mines  and  built  the  old  furnace  in  Spotsylvania 
county." 

These  pioneers  remained  at  Germanna  until  about  1720,  when, 
owing  to  some  difference  with  Governor  Spotswood,  they  removed 
to  what  is  now  Fauquier  county,  then  Stafford,  later  Prince  Wil- 
liam, and  in  1759  the  portion  they  settled  became  Fauquier.  They 
settled  about  nine  miles  south  of  Warrenton  on  a  small  stream 
called  Licking  Run  and  named  the  place  Germantown — thus  keep- 
ing up  the  German  identity, —  which  is  one  mile  north  of  Madison 
station  on  the  Southern  railroad. 

Rev.  James  Kemper,  in  the  paper  referred  to,  says  the  first  year 
they  were  in  Germantown  they  "packed  all  of  their  provisions  from 
Fredericksburg  on  their  heads  and  raised  their  first  crop  with  their 
hoes,  in  both  of  which  the  women  bore  a  part."  This  shows  that 
the  village,  afterwards  called  Fredericksburg,  was  the  trading  place 
of  the  country  above  the  falls  at  that  period. 

The  names  of  the  twelve  men  who,  with  their  families,  settled 
Germanna,  are  John  Kemper,  John  Huffman,  Jacob  Holtzclaw, 
Tillman  Weaver,  John  Fishback,  Harman  Fishback,  Harman  Utter- 
back,  John  Joseph  Martin,  Peter  Hitt,  Jacob  Coons, —  Way- 
man  and  Hanback.     The  Rev.   Henry  Hagen  was  their 

minister. 

These  people  were  picked  men  for  a  special  purpose,  to  do  that 
which  no  one  then  in  Virginia  could  do — manufacture  iron.  Their 
descendants  are  scattered  all  over  this  country  and  have  filled  high 
positions  in  the  Army  and  Navy,  as  well  as  in  State  and  Church. 
They  did  two  things  worthy  of  note:  They  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  German  Reformed  Church  in  the  United  States,*  and  also 
the  iron  and  steel  industry,  which  now  requires  billions  of  dollars 
to  carry  on  successfully,  and  both  of  these  were  done  at  Germanna, 
in  Spotsylvania  county,  Virginia. 

It  has  also  been  contended  that  the  fort,  built  near  the  falls  of 


*  It  Is  claimed  by  Rev.  James  Kemper  that  the  German  Reformed  Church, 
organized  at  Germanna  in  1714,  was  the  first  church  of  that  denomination 
planted  in  this  country. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  25 

the  Kappahannock  river,  was  constructed  on  the  north  side  of  the 
river  and  that  the  place  where  Falmouth  now  stands  was  the  center 
of  the  military  district.*  This  assertion  is  not  substantiated  by 
any  record  we  have  seen,  and  we  are  not  prepared,  in  the  absence  of 
proof,  to  accept  it. 

There  are  two  reasons  which  may  be  given  which,  we  think,  will 
show  that  the  site  of  Falmouth  would  have  been  an  improper  and 
unsafe  location  for  the  fort,  both  of  which  would  have  suggested 
themselves  to  the  constructors  of  the  fort.  One  is,  that  the  place 
is  on  the  bend  of  the  river  and  is  surrounded  by  high  hills,  now 
known  as  Stafford  Heights.  From  the  crest  of  these  hills  the  fort 
could  have  been  attacked  by  the  enemy  and  captured  by  any  small 
force.  And  if  it  had  not  been  captured  the  elevation  would  have 
given  the  Indians  great  advantage  over  the  garrison,  making  their 
arrows  very  effective.  To  have  placed  the  fort  on  either  one  of  the 
high  hills  would  have  thrown  the  garrison  too  far  from  the  river 
to  protect  their  sail  vessels,  and  in  case  they  had  been  compelled  to 
give  up  the  fort  they  could  not  have  reached  their  vessels  in  the 
river,  which,  in  the  past,  had  proved  a  safer  refuge  than  the  poorly 
constructed  forts  of  that  day. 

The  other  reason  is,  that  to  have  constructed  the  fort  on  the  north 
side  of  the  river  would  have  placed  the  almost  impassable  Kappa- 
hannock between  the  garrison  and  their  remote  friends  on  the  south 
side,  from  whom  alone  they  could  look  for  relief  in  case  they  had 
been  besieged,  or  if  they  had  been  compelled  to  retreat. 

For  these  reasons,  if  for  no  other,  we  are  satisfied  that  the  fort 
was  not  located  on  the  north  side  of  the  river,  but  on  the  south  side 
and  in  the  vicinity  of  where  Fredericksburg  now  stands. 

But  this  author,  in  speaking  of  the  fort,  says  "not  one  stone  or 
brick  of  the  fort  is  left  on  another,  but  the  terraces  on  the  long 
hill  back  of  the  riverside  houses  still  bear  traces  of  ancient  work." 
But  this  does  not  prove  the  contention. 

It  should  be  remembered  that  forts  were  not  constructed  in  those 
times  of  stones  and  bricks,  nor  even  of  earthen  walls,  as  they  have 


•  Mr.   M.    D.    Conway,    In    Magazine   of    American    History,    Vol.    27,    No.    3r 
page  186. 


26  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

since  been,  but  of  wooden  poles  or  logs,  and  very  temporary  at  that. 
John  Fontaine  gives  a  minute  description  of  the  fort  built  by  the 
Germans  at  Germanna  in  the  year  1714,  which  will  help  us  to 
understand  what  a  fort  was  in  those  days. 

"We  walked  about  the  town,  which  is  palisaded  with  stakes  stuck 
in  the  ground,  and  laid  close  the  one  to  the  other,  and  of  substance 
to  bear  out  a  mussket-shot.  There  are  but  nine  families,  and  they 
have  nine  houses,  built  all  in  a  line ;  and  before  every  house,  about 
twenty  feet  distant  from  it,  they  have  small  sheds  built  for  their  hogs 
and  hens,  so  that  the  hog-sties  and  houses  make  a  street.  The 
place  that  is  poled  in  is  a  pentagon,  very  regularly  laid  out;  and 
in  the  very  center  there  is  a  block-house,  made  with  five  sides,  which 
answer  to  the  five  sides  of  the  great  enclosure ;  there  are  loop  holes 
through  it,  from  which  you  may  see  all  the  inside  of  the  enclosure. 
This  was  intended  for  a  retreat  for  the  people,  in  case  they  were 
not  able  to  defend  the  palisadoes,  if  attacked  by  the  Indians."* 
Col.  Byrd,  in  1732,  called  this  a  fort. 


*  Memoirs  of  a  Huguenot  Family,  page  268. 


CHAPTER  II 

THE    KNIGHTS    OF    THE    GOLDEN    HORSE    SHOE. 

Governor  Spotswood  and  Others  Start  on  an  Expedition  over  the 
Blue  Ridge  Mountains — They  Pass  Through  what  is  now  Fred- 
ericksburg— They  Join  Others  at  Germanna,  where  they  make 
Extensive  Preparations — The  Country  Rough  and  the  Woods 
Dense — Bears,  Deer,  Turkeys,  Squirrels  and  Snakes  Plenti- 
ful— The  Summit  of  the  Mountain  Reached — The  Sublime 
Scene — The  Health  of  the  King  Drank  and  the  Country  Taken 
Possession  of  in  His  Name — The  Shenandoah  River,  &c. 

Two  years  after  the  settlement  of  Germanna  Governor  Spotswood 
visited  the  place,  in  company  with  gentlemen  and  others  who  were 
to  accompany  him  in  his  famous  expedition  over  the  Blue  Eidge 
mountains,  which  has  been  the  theme  of  the  writers  of  song  and 
story,  and  upon  which  has  recently  been  founded  a  secret  benevolent 
order.  So  much  has  been  written  about  this  expedition,  in  this 
country  and  in  Europe,  into  which  so  much  romance  has  been 
woven,  and  yet  so  little  is  known  about  it  by  the  general  public,  at 
the  expense  of  length  and  tediousness  to  the  reader  of  the  narrative, 
we  propose  to  give  John  Fontaine's*  diary,  written  daily  as  they 
progressed  on  the  journey,  from  the  time  he  left  Williamsburg  with 
the  Governor,  until  he  returned  to  that  city,  that  we  may  be  thor- 
oughly informed  of  all  the  particulars.  The  expedition  was  made 
in  August  and  September,  1716,  and  the  following  is  John  Fon- 
taine's diary : 

Williamsburg,  20th  August,  1716. — In  the  morning  got  my 
horses  ready,  and  what  baggage  was  necessary,  and  I  waited  on  the 


*  John  Fontaine  was  the  son  of  Rev.  James  Fontaine,  of  France,  a  Huguenot 
who  fled  to  England  to  avoid  religious  persecution,  and  thence  settled  in  Scot- 
land, where  he  ended  his  days.  The  name  originally  was  De  la  Fontaine,  but 
John's  grandfather,  "from  motives  of  humility,  cut  off  the  De  la,  the  indication 
of  the  nobility  of  the  family."  John  came  to  this  country  in  1716,  with  his 
brother  Peter,  and  at  once  became  a  friend  and  companion  of  Governor  Spots- 
wood's,  while  Peter  became  a  minister  of  ability  and  was  very  popular.  From 
these  two  brothers  sprang  the  Fontaines  of  this  country. 

[27] 


28  History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia 

Governor  who  was  in  readiness  for  an  expedition  over  the  Appala- 
chian mountains.  We  breakfasted  and  about  ten  got  on  horseback, 
and,  at  four  came  to  the  Brickhouse,  upon  York  River,  where  we 
crossed  the  ferry  and  at  six  came  to  Mr.  Austin  Moore's  house*  on 
Mattapony  River,  in  King  William  County;  here  we  lay  all  night 
and  were  well  entertained. 

21st. — Fair  weather.  At  ten  we  set  out  from  Mr.  Moore's,  and 
crossed  the  river  of  Mattapony,  and  continued  on  the  road,  and 
were  on  horseback  till  nine  of  the  clock  at  night,  before  we  came  to 
Mr.  Robert  Beverley's  house  where  we  were  well  entertained,  and 
remained  this  night. 

22nd. — At  nine  in  the  morning  we  set  out  from  Mr.  Beverley's. 
The  Governor  left  his  chaise  here,  and  mounted  his  horse.  The 
weather  fair,  we  continued  on  our  journey  until  we  came  to  Mr. 
Woodford's  where  we  lafv,  and  were  well  entertained.  This  house 
lies  on  Rappahannock  River  ten  miles  below  the  falls. 

23rd. — Here  we  remained  all  this  day,  and  diverted  ourselves 
and  rested  our  horses. 

24th. — In  the  morning,  at  seven,  we  mounted  our  horses  and 
came  to  Austin  Smith's  housef  about  ten,  where  we  dined,  and  re- 
mained till  about  one  of  the  clock,  when  we  set  out,  and  about  nine 
of  the  clock  we  came  to  the  German-town,  where  we  rested  that 
night — bad  beds  and  indifferent  entertainment. 

German-town,  25th. — After  dinner  we  went  to  see  the  mines,  but 
I  could  not  observe  that  there  was  any  good  mine.  The  Germans 
pretend  that  it  is  a  silver  mine;  we  took  some  of  the  ore  and  en- 
deavored to  run  it,  but  could  get  nothing  out  of  it,  and  I  am  of 
opinion  it  will  not  come  to  anything,  no,  not  as  much  as  lead. 
Many  of  the  gentlemen  of  the  county  are  concerned  in  this  work. 
We  returned  and  to  our  hard  beds. 

26th. — At  seven  we  got  up,  and  several  gentlemen  of  the  country. 


*  Au8tain  Moore  lived  at  Chelsea,  on  the  Mattaponi  river.  He  was  the 
Governor's  son-in-law. — Maury's  History  of  Virginia. 

f  Austin  Smith  lived  in  the  village  or  settlement  afterwards  named  Fred- 
ericksburg. He  is  supposed  to  have  been  a  descendant  of  Lawrence  Smith,  who 
commanded  the  fort  here  In  1681.  He  no  doubt  has  descendants  here  now 
bearing  the  name  of  Smith,  while  some  are  known  by  other  names. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  29 

that  were  to  meet  the  Governor  at  this  place  for  the  expedition, 
arrived  here,  as  also  two  companies  of  Rangers,  consisting  each  of 
six  men,  and  an  officer.  Four  Meherrin  Indians  also  came.*  In 
the  morning  I  diverted  myself  with  other  gentlemen  shooting  at 
a  mark.  At  twelve  we  dined,  and  after  dinner  we  mounted  our 
horses  and  crossed  the  Rappahannoc  River  that  runs  by  this  place, 
and  went  to  find  out  some  convenient  place  for  our  horses  to  feed 
in,  and  to  view  the  land  hereabouts.  Our  guide  left  us,  and  we 
went  so  far  in  the  woods  that  we  did  not  know  the  way  back  again; 
and  so  we  hallowed  and  fired  our  guns.  Half  an  hour  after  sunset 
the  guide  came  to  us,  and  we  went  to  cross  the  river  by  a  ford  higher 
up.  The  descent  to  the  river  being  steep,  and  the  night  dark,  we 
were  obliged  to  dismount  and  lead  our  horses  down  to  the  river 
side,  which  was  very  troublesome.  The  bank  being  very  steep,  the 
greatest  part  of  our  company  went  into  the  water  to  mount  their 
horses,  where  they  were  up  to  the  crotch  in  the  water.  After  we 
had  forded  the  river  and  came  to  the  other  side,  where  the  bank 
was  steep  also,  in  going  up,  the  horse  of  one  of  our  company  slipped 
and  fell  back  into  the  river  on" the  top  of  his. rider,  but  he  received 
no  other  damage  than  being  heartily  wet,  which  made  sport  for  the 
rest.  A  hornet  stung  one  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  face  which 
swelled  prodigiously.  About  ten  we  came  to  the  town,  where  we 
supped,  and  to  bed. 

27th. — We  got  our  tents  in  order,  and  our  horses  shod.  About 
twelve  I  was  taken  with  a  violent  headache  and  pains  in  all  my 
bones,  so  that  I  was  obliged  to  lie  down,  and  was  very  bad  that  day. 

28th, — About  one  in  the  morning  I  was  taken  with  a  violent 
fever,  which  abated  about  six  at  night,  and  I  began  to  take  the  bark, 
and  had  one  ounce  divided  into  eight  doses,  and  took  two  of  them 
by  ten  of  the  clock  that  night.  The  fever  abated,  but  I  had  great 
pains  in  my  head  and  bones. 

29th. — In  the  morning  we  got  all  things  in  readiness,  and  about 


*  These  Indians  came  from  the  Meherrin  river,  where  Governor  Spotswood 
owned  a  large  body  of  land.  He  had  opened  a  school  there  for  the  education 
and  conversion  of  the  Indian  children,  which  made  him  quite  popular  with  the 
Indians  in  that  quarter.  The  Governor  and  Mr.  Fontaine  visited  that  part  of 
the  country  a  few  weeks  before  they  started  on  this  expedition. 


30  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

one  we  left  the  German-town  to  set  out  on  our  intended  journey. 
At  five  in  the  afternoon,  the  Governor  gave  orders  to  encamp  mar 
a  small  river,  three  miles  from  Germanna,  which  we  called  Expedi- 
tion Run,  and  here  we  lay  all  night.  The  first  encampment  was 
called  Beverley  Camp,  in  honor  of  one  of  the  gentlemen  of  our 
party.  We  made  great  fires,  and  supped,  and  drank  good  punch. 
By  ten  of  the  clock  I  had  taken  all  of  my  ounce  of  Jesuit's  Bark, 
but  my  head  was  much  out  of  order. 

30th. — In  the  morning  about  seven  of  the  clock,  the  trumpet 
sounded  to  awake  all  the  company,  and  we  got  up.  One  Austin 
Smith,  one  of  the  gentlemen  with  us,  having  a  fever,  returned 
home.  We  had  lain  upon  the  ground  under  cover  of  our  tents,  and 
we  found  by  the  pains  in  our  bones  that  we  had  not  had  good  beds 
to  lie  upon.  At  nine  in  the  morning,  we  sent  our  servants  and  bag- 
gage forward,  and  we  remained,  because  two  of  the  Governor's 
horses  had  strayed.  At  half  past  two  we  got  the  horses,  at  three  we 
mounted,  and  at  half  an  hour  after  four,  we  came  up  with  our 
baggage  at  a  small  river,  three  miles  on  the  way,  which  we  called 
Mine  River,  because  there  was  an  appearance  of  a  silver  mine  by  it. 
We  made  about  three  miles  more,  and  came  to  another  small  river, 
which  is  at  the  foot  of  a  small  mountain,  so  we  encamped  here  and 
called  it  Mountain  Run,  and  our  camp  we  called  Todd's  Camp. 
We  had  good  pasturage  for  our  horses,  and  venison  in  abundance 
for  ourselves  which  we  roasted  before  the  fire  upon  wooden  forks, 
and  so  we  went  to  bed  in  our  tents.     Made  6  miles  this  day. 

31st. — At  eight  in  the  morning  we  set  out  from  Mountain  Run, 
and  after  going  five  miles  we  came  upon  the  upper  part  of  Rappa- 
hannoc  River.  One  of  the  gentlemen  and  I,  we  kept  on  one  side 
of  the  company  about  a  mile,  to  have  the  better  hunting.  I  saw 
a  deer,  and  shot  him  from  my  horse,  but  the  horse  threw  me  a  ter- 
rible fall  and  ran  away ;  we  ran  after,  and  with  a  great  deal  of  diffi- 
culty got  him  again ;  but  we  could  not  find  the  deer  I  had  shot,  and 
we  lost  ourselves,  and  it  was  two  hours  before  we  could  come  upon 
the  track  of  our  company.  About  five  miles  further  we  crossed 
the  same  river  again,  and  two  miles  further  we  met  with  a  large 
bear,  which  one  of  our  company  shot,  and  I  got  the  skin.     We 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  31 

killed  several  deer,  and  about  two  miles  from  the  place  where  we 
killed  the  bear,  we  encamped  upon  Eappahannock  Eiver.  From 
our  encampment  we  could  see  the  Appalachian  Hills  very  plain. 
We  made  large  fires,  pitched  our  tents,  and  cut  bows  to  lie  upon, 
had  good  liquor,  and  at  ten  we  went  to  sleep.  We  always  kept  a 
sentry  at  the  Governor's  door.  We  called  this  Smith's  Camp. 
Made  this  day  fourteen  miles. 

1st  September. — At  eight  we  mounted  our  horses,  and  made  the 
first  five  miles  of  our  way  through  a  very  pleasant  plain,  which  lies 
where  Eappahannock  Eiver  forks.  I  saw  there  the  largest  timber, 
the  finest  and  deepest  mould,  and  the  best  grass  that  I  ever  did  see.* 
We  had  some  of  our  baggage  put  out  of  order,  and  our  company  dis- 
mounted, by  hornets  stinging  the  horses.  This  was  some  hind- 
rance, and  did  a  little  damage,  but  afforded  a  great  deal  of  diver- 
sion. We  killed  three  bears  this  day,  which  exercised  the  horses 
as  well  as  the  men.  We  saw  two  foxes  but  did  not  pursue  them ;  we 
killed  several  deer.  About  five  of  the  clock,  we  came  to  a  run  of 
water  at  the  foot  of  a  hill,  where  we  pitched  our  tents.  We  called 
the  encampment  Dr.  Eobinson's  Camp,  and  the  river  Blind  Eun. 
We  had  good  pasturage  for  our  horses,  and  every  one  was  cook  for 
himself.  We  made  our  beds  with  bushes  as  before.  On  this  day 
we  made  13  miles. 

2nd. — At  nine  we  were  all  on  horseback  and  after  riding  about 
five  miles  we  crossed  Eappahannoc  river,  f  almost  at  the  head,  where 
it  is  very  small.  We  had  a  rugged  way;  we  passed  over  a  great 
many  small  runs  of  water,  some  of  which  were  deep,  and  others  very 
miry.  Several  of  our  company  were  dismounted,  some  were  down 
with  their  horses,  others  under  their  horses,  and  some  thrown  off. 
We  saw  a  bear  running  down  a  tree,  but  it  being  Sunday  we  did  not 
endeavor  to  kill  anything.  We  encamped  at  five  by  a  small  river 
we  called  White  Oak  Eiver,|  and  called  our  Camp  Taylor's  Camp. 

3rd. — About  eight  we  were  on  horseback,  and  about  ten  we  came 
to  a  thicket,  so  tightly  laced  together,  that  we  had  a  great  deal  of 


*  This  must  be  at  the  junction  of  the  Rapidan  and  Robinson  rivers. 
f  This  is  the  Rapidan  river  probably. 

J  It  is  likely  that  this  was  Conway  river,   a   tributary  of  the  Rapidan,  and 
the  line  between  Madison  and  Green  counties. 


32  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

trouble  to  get  through ;  our  baggage  was  injured,  our  clothes  torn 
all  to  rags,  and  the  saddles  and  holsters  also  torn.  About  five  of 
the  clock  we  encamped  almost  at  the  head  of  James  River,*  just  be- 
low the  great  mountains.  We  called  this  camp  Colonel  Robertson's 
Camp.     We  made  all  this  day  but  eight  miles. 

4th. — We  had  two  of  our  men  sick  with  the  measles,  and  one  of 
our  horses  poisoned  with  a  rattlesnake.  We  took  the  heaviest  of 
our  baggage,  our  tired  horses,  and  the  sick  men,  and  made  as  con- 
venient a  lodge  for  them  as  we  could,  and  left  people  to  guard  them, 
and  hunt  for  them.  We  had  finished  this  work  by  twelve,  and  so 
we  went  out.  The  sides  of  the  mountains  were  so  full  of  vines  and 
briers,  that  we  were  forced  to  clear  most  of  the  way  before  us.  We 
crossed  one  of  the  small  mountains  this  side  of  the  Appalachian, 
and  from  the  top  of  it  we  had  a  fine  view  of  the  plains  below.  We 
were  obliged  to  walk  up  the  most  of  the  way,  there  being  an  abun- 
dance of  loose  stones  on  the  side  of  the  hill.  I  killed  a  large  rattle- 
snake here,  and  the  other  people  killed  three  more.  We  made  about 
four  miles  and  so  came  to  the  side  of  James  River,  where  a  man 
may  jump  over  it,  and  there  we  pitched  our  tents.  As  the  people 
were  lighting  the  fire,  there  came  out  of  a  large  log  of  wood  a  pro- 
digious snake,  which  they  killed;  so  this  camp  was  called  Rattle- 
snake Camp,  but  it  was  otherwise  called  Brook's  Camp. 

5th. — A  fair  day.  At  nine  we  were  mounted;  we  were  obliged 
to  have  axe-men  to  clear  the  way  in  some  places.  We  followed  the 
windings  of  James  River,  observing  that  it  came  from  the  very  top 
of  the  mountains.  We  killed  two  rattlesnakes  during  our  ascent. 
In  some  places  it  was  very  steep,  in  others  it  was  so  that  we  could 
ride  up.  About  one  of  the  clock  we  got  to  the  top  of  the  mountain ; 
about  four  miles  and  a  half,  and  we  came  to  the  very  head  spring 
of  James  River,  where  it  runs  no  bigger  than  a  man's  arm,  from 
under  a  large  stone.  We  drank  King  George's  health  and  all  the 
Royal  Family's  at  the  very  top  of  the  Appalachian  mountains. 
About  a  musket-shot  from  the  spring  is  another,  which  rises  and 
runs  down  on  the  other  side;  it  goes  westward,  and  we  thought  we 


*  This  Is  unquestionably  the  north  fork  or  north  branch  of  the  Rlvanna 
river,  a  tributary  of  the  James,  which  runs  through  Green  county,  its  head 
waters  coming  from  the  sides  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountain. 


•■-■■'  ^^"sr"" 

. ' 

■ 

- 

KfeL 

B:y>,.'jffit 

I^MH9 

I!  ill' 

rl  ill 

"Mary  Washington  House,"  home  of  Mary,  the  Mother  of  Wash- 
ington, and  where  she  died  in  1789;  now  the  prop- 
erty of  the  A.  P.  of  V.  A. 
(See  page  157) 


§pc         *    ^        ^1 

n  ••-•  *4    i  fc  ♦    ^  • 

_^flbt  '      '  i  u . 

"Federal   Hill,"   home  of  Thomas  Reade  Rootes,  Gov.  Brooke, 

etc.;  now  the  residence  of  Mrs.  H.  Theodore  Wight. 

(See  page  153) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  33 

could  go  down  that  way,  but  we  met  with  such  prodigious  preci- 
pices, that  we  were  obliged  to  return  to  the  top  again.  We  found 
some  trees  which  had  been  formerly  marked,  I  suppose,  by  the 
Northern  Indians,  and  following  these  trees,  we  found  a  good,  safe 
descent.  Several  of  the  company  were  for  returning;  but  the 
Governor  persuaded  them  to  continue  on.  About  five  we  were  down 
on  the  other  side,  and  continued  our  way  for  about  seven  miles 
further,  until  we  came  to  a  large  river,  by  the  side  of  which  we 
encamped.  We  made  this  day  fourteen  miles.  I,  being  somewhat 
more  curious  than  the  rest,  went  on  a  high  rock  on  the  top  of  the 
mountain,  to  see  fine  prospects,  and  I  lost  my  gun.  We  saw,  when 
we  were  over  the  mountains,  the  footing  of  elks  and  buffaloes,  and 
their  beds.  We  saw  a  vine  which  bore  a  sort  of  wild  cucumber; 
and  a  shrub  with  a  fruit  like  unto  a  currant.  We  eat  very  good 
wild  grapes.  We  called  this  place  Spotswood  Camp,  after  our 
Governor. 

6th. — We  crossed  the  river,  which  we  called  Euphrates.*  It  is 
very  deep;  the  main  course  of  the  water  is  North;  it  is  fourscore 
yards  wide  in  the  narrowest  part.  We  drank  some  healths  on  the 
other  side,  and  returned ;  after  which  I  went  a  swimming  in  it. 
We  could  not  find  any  fordable  place,  except  the  one  by  which  we 
crossed,  and  it  was  deep  in  several  places.  I  got  some  grass  hoppers 
and  fished ;  and  another  and  I,  we  caught  a  dish  of  fish,  some  perch, 
and  a  fish  they  called  chub.  The  others  went  a  hunting,  and  killed 
deer  and  turkeys.  The  Governor  had  graving  irons,  but  could  not 
grave  anything,  the  stones  were  so  hard,  I  graved  my  name  on  a  tree 
by  the  river  side;  and  the  Governor  buried  a  bottle  with  a  paper 
enclosed,  on  which  he  writ  that  he  took  possession  of  this  place  in 
the  name  and  for  King  George  the  First  of  England.*     We  had  a 


-  *  This  is  the  Shenandoah  river,  as  no  other  river  in  the  Valley  answers  to 
Mr.  Fontaine's  description,  and  which  is  a  very  important  part  of  his  narra- 
tive. The  distance  of  the  river  from  the  mountains  and  the  description  of  the 
streams  crossed  in  reaching  the  mountains,  enable  us  to  determine  with  con- 
siderable accuracy  the  route  the  Governor  and  his  party  took  as  they  crossed 
the  Blue  Ridge  into  the  beautiful  Shenandoah  Valley,  "the  Granary  of  the 
World."  A  careful  inspection  of  the  map  will  show  that  they  passed  through 
the  counties  of  Orange,  Madison  and  the  northern  portion  of  Green  over  Into 
Rockingham,  where  the  Shenandoah  river  Is  about  seventy-five  or  eighty  yards 
wide  and  runs  within  a  few  miles  of  the  Blue  Ridge  mountains. 
3 


34  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

good  dinner,  and  after  it  we  got  the  men  together,  and  loaded  all 
their  arms,  and  we  drank  the  King's  health  in  Champagne,  and 
fired  a  volley — the  Princess's  health  in  Burgundy,  and  fired  a 
volley,  and  all  the  rest  of  the  Royal  Family  in  Claret,  and  a  volley. 
We  had  several  sorts  of  liquors,  viz :  Virginia  red  wine  and  white 
wine,  Irish  usquebaugh,  brandy,  shrub,  two  sorts  of  rum,  cham- 
pagne, canary,  cherry,  punch,  water,  cider,  &c. 

I  sent  two  of  the  rangers  to  look  for  my  gun,  which  I  dropped 
in  the  mountains;  they. found  it,  and  brought  it  to  me  at  night, 
and  I  gave  them  a  pistole  for  their  trouble.  We  called  the  highest 
mountain  Mount  George,  and  the  one  we  crossed  over  Mount  Spots- 
wood. 

7th. — At  seven  in  the  morning  we  mounted  our  horses,  and 
parted  with  the  rangers,  who  were  to  go  further  on,  and  we  returned 
homewards ;  we  repassed  the  mountains,  and  at  five  in  the  afternoon 
we  came  to  Hospital  Camp,  where  we  left  our  sick  men,  and  heavy 
baggage  and  we  found  all  things  well  and  safe.  We  camped  here, 
and  called  it  Captain  Clouder's  Camp. 

8th. — At  nine  we  were  all  on  horseback.  We  saw  several  bears 
and  deer,  and  killed  some  wild  turkeys.  We  encamped  at  the  side 
of  a  run,  and  called  the  place  Mason's  Camp.  We  had  good  forage 
for  our  horses,  and  we  lay  as  usual.     Made  twenty  miles  this  day. 

9th. — We  set  out  at  nine  of  the  clock,  and  before  twelve  we  saw 
several  bears,  and  killed  three.     One  of  them  attacked  one  of  our 


*  Governor  Spotswood,  when  he  undertook  the  great  discovery  of  the  Passage 
over  the  Mountains,  attended  with  a  sufficient  guard,  and  pioneers  and  gentle- 
men, with  a  sufficient  stock  of  provision,  with  abundant  fatigue  passed  these 
mountains  and  cut  his  Majesty's  name  In  a  rock  upon  the  highest  of  them, 
naming  It  Mount  George ;  and  In  complaisance  the  gentlemen  from  the  Gov- 
ernor's name,  called  the  mountain  next  in  height  Mount  Alexander. 

For  this  expedition  they  were  obliged  to  provide  a  great  quantity  of  horse 
shoes  (things  seldom  used  in  the  lower  parts  of  the  country,  where  there  are 
few  stones)  ;  upon  which  account  the  Governor,  upon  their  return,  presented 
each  of  his  companions  with  a  golden  horse  shoe,  (some  of  which  I  have  seen 
studded  with  valuable  stones  resembling  the  heads  of  nails,)  with  this  Inscrip- 
tion on  one  side :  Sic  jurat  tramcendere  montes,  and  on  the  other  is  written 
the  tremontane  order. 

This  he  Instituted  to  encourage  gentlemen  to  venture  backwards,  and  make 
discoveries,  and  new  settlements ;  any  gentleman  being  entitled  to  wear  this 
golden  shoe  that  can  prove  his  having  drunk  his  Majesty's  health  upon  Mount 
George. — Hugh  Jones,  1724. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  35 

men  that  was  riding  after  him,  and  narrowly  missed  him;  he  tore 
his  things  that  he  had  behind  him  from  off  the  horse,  and  would 
have  destroyed  him,  had  he  not  had  immediate  help  from  the  other 
men  and  our  dogs.  Some  of  the  dogs  suffered  severely  in  this  en- 
gagement. At  two  we  crossed  one  of  the  branches  of  the  Eappa- 
hannock  Eiver,  and  at  five  we  encamped  on  the  side  of  the  Eapid 
Ann,  on  a  tract  of  land  that  Mr.  Beverley  hath  design  to  take  up. 
We  made,  this  day,  twenty-three  miles,  and  called  this  Captain 
Smith's  Camp.  We  eat  part  of  one  of  the  bears,  which  tasted  very 
well,  and  would  be  good,  and  might  pass  for  veal,  if  one  did  not 
know  what  it  was.  We  were  very  merry,  and  diverted  ourselves 
with  our  adventures. 

10th. — At  eight  we  were  on  horseback,  and  about  ten,  as  we  were 
going  up  a  small  hill,  Mr.  Beverley  and  his  horse  fell  down,  and 
they  both  rolled  to  the  bottom;  but  there  were  no  bones  broken  on 
either  side.  At  twelve  as  we  were  crossing  a  run  of  water,  Mr. 
Clouder  fell  in,  so  we  called  this  place  Clouder's  Eun.  At  one  we 
arrived  at  a  large  spring,  where  we  dined  and  drank  a  bowl  of 
punch.  We  called  this  Fontaine's  Spring.  About  two  we  got  on 
horseback,  and  at  four  we  reached  Germanna.  The  Governor 
thanked  the  gentlemen  for  their  assistance  in  the  expedition.  Mr. 
Mason  left  us  here.  I  went  at  five  to  swim  in  the  Eappahannoc 
Eiver,  and  returned  to  the  town. 

11th. — After  breakfast  all  our  company  left  us,  excepting  Dr. 
Eobinson  and  Mr.  Clouder.  We  walked  all  about  the  town,  and 
the  Governor  settled  his  business  with  the  Germans  here,  and  ac- 
commodated the  minister  and  the  people,  and  then  to  bed. 

12th. — After  breakfast  went  a  fishing  in  the  Eappahannock,  and 
took  seven  fish,  which  we  had  for  dinner ;  after  which  Mr.  Eobinson 
and  I,  we  endeavored  to  melt  some  ore  in  the  Smith's  forge,  but 
could  get  nothing  out  of  it.  Dr.  Eobinson's  and  Mr.  Clouder's  boys 
were  taken  violently  ill  with  fever.  Mr.  Eobinson  and  Mr.  Clouder 
left  us,  and  the  boys  remained  behind. 

13th. — About  eight  of  the  clock  we  mounted  our  horses,  and  went 
to  the  mine,  where  we  took  several  pieces  of  ore;  and  at  nine  we 
set  out  from  the  mine,  our  servants  having  gone  before;  and  about 


36  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

three  we  overtook  them  in  the  woods,  and  there  the  Governor  and 
I  dined.  We  mounted  afterwards  and  continued  on  our  road.  I 
killed  a  black  snake  about  five  feet  long.  We  arrived  at  Mr.  Wood- 
ford's* on  Rappahannoc  River,  about  six,  and  remained  there  all 
night. 

14th. — At  seven  we  sent  our  horses  and  baggage  before  us;  and 
at  ten  we  mounted  our  horses;  we  killed  another  snake,  four  feet 
nine  inches  long.  At  twelve  we  came  to  the  church,  where  we  met 
with  Mr.  Buckner,  and  remained  till  two,  to  settle  some  county  busi- 
ness ;  then  we  mounted  our  horses,  and  saw  several  wild  turkeys  on 
the  road;  and  at  seven  we  reached  Mr.  Beverley's  house,  which  is 
on  the  head  of  the  Mattapony  River,  where  we  were  well  enter- 
tained.    My  boy  was  taken  with  a  violent  fever,  and  very  sick. 

15th. — At  seven  my  servant  was  some  what  better,  and  I  sent  him 
away  with  my  horses,  and  about  ten  o'clock  the  Governor  took  his 
chaise,  and  I  with  him,  and  at  twelve  we  came  to  a  mill-dam,  which 
we  had  great  difficulty  to  get  the  chaise  over.  We  got  into  it  again, 
and  continued  on  our  way,  and  about  five  we  arrived  at  Mr.  Bay- 
lor's, where  we  remained  all  night. 

16th. — My  servant  was  so  sick,  that  I  was  obliged  to  leave  him, 
and  the  Governor's  servants  took  care  of  my  horses.  At  ten  we 
sent  the  chaise  over  the  Mattapony  River,  and  it  being  Sunday,  we 
went  to  church  in  King  William  County,  where  we  heard  a  sermon 
from  Mr.  Monroe.  After  sermon  we  continued  our  journey  until 
we  came  to  Mr.  West's  plantation,  where  Colonel  Basset  waited  for 
the  Governor  with  his  pinnace,  and  other  boats  for  his  servants. 
We  arrived  at  his  house  by  five  of  the  clock,  and  were  nobly  enter- 
tained. 

17th. — At  ten  we  left  Colonel  Basset's,  and  at  three  we  arrived  at 
Williamsburg,  where  we  dined  together  and  went  to  my  lodgings, 
and  to  bed,  being  well  tired  as  well  as  my  horses. 

I  reckon  that  from  Williamsburg  to  the  Euphrates  River  is  in  all 
219  miles,  so  that  our  journey,  going  and  coming,  has  been  in  all 
438  miles. 


*  This  Mr.  Woodford  is  supposed  to  be  the  father  or  grandfather  of  General 
Wm.  Woodford,  of  Revolutionary  fame. 


CHAPTER  III 

Fredericksburg  Incorporated  by  Law — Col.  Byrd  Walks  About 
Town — Church  Erected — Patrick  Henry  Rector — Augustine 
Washington  a  Trustee — Fairs  Inaugurated — Limits  of  the 
Town  Extended,  &c. 

Although  the  site  upon  which  Fredericksburg  now  stands  was 
settled  by  white  men,,  possibly  in  1622,  in  the  location  of  plantations 
by  the  London  Company  referred  to  by  Capt.  John  Smith,  and 
certainly  in  1681  by  the  construction  of  Major  Lawrence  Smith's 
fort,  yet  the  town  was  not  incorporated  for  many  years  thereafter. 
That  it  was  a  trading  station  and  a  place  of  importance  before  its- 
incorporation  is  admitted  in  the  act  of  incorporation  itself,  besides 
earlier  writers  refer  to  it  as  such.  If  the  inquiry  should  be  made 
as  to  why  the  town  was  not  incorporated  earlier  if  it  was  a  place 
of  importance,  it  might  be  answered  with  the  fact  that  prior  to  that 
time  the  authorities  did  not  seem  to  think  it  was  necessary,  as 
neither  Richmond,  Petersburg,  Norfolk  nor  Alexandria  was  incor- 
porated for  several  years  after  Fredericksburg  had  a  legal  existence. 

Fredericksburg  was  founded  by  law  in  1727  and  named  for  Fred- 
erick, Prince  of  Wales,  son  of  George  the  Second,  by  which  act 
the  people  of  the  town  showed  their  attachment  to  the  royal  family 
of  England.  But  this  was  not  all;  they  emphasized  that  attach- 
ment by  calling  nearly  every  street  in  the  original  survey  of  the 
town  after  some  member  of  the*  royal  family  or  of  some  country  to 
which  English  royality  was  closely  allied.  Sophia  street  was  named 
for  the  sister  of  George  II ;  Caroline  for  his  wife ;  Princess  Anne  for 
one  of  his  daughters,  and  Prince  Edward  for  his  grandson.  The 
cross  streets  were  named,  Princess  Elizabeth  for  a  daughter  of 
George  II;  Frederick  for  his  oldest  son;  William  for  his  second 
son,  and  Amelia  for  a  daughter.  George  was  named  for  the  King 
himself;  Charlotte  for  the  wife  of  George  III;  Hanover  for  the 
House  of  Hanover,  and  Prussia  for  the  country  of  Prussia.  This 
includes  every  street  in  the  original  survey  except  Charles  and 
Wolfe.     We  do  not  know  for  whom  these  two  streets  were  named, 

[37] 


38  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

and  we  think  the  evidence  is  very  clear  that  they  were  not  laid  out 
as  streets  at  the  time  of  the  original  survey. 

The  act  of  the  House  of  Burgesses,  establishing  Fredericksburg, 
in  which  are  preserved  as  near  as  possible  the  form,  orthography, 
punctuation  and  capitalization,  is  as  follows: 

I.  Whereas  great  Numbers  of  People  have  of  late  seated  them- 
selves and  their  Families  upon  and  near  the  River  Rappahannock, 
and  the  Branches  thereof  above  the  Falls,  and  great  Quantities  of 
Tobacco  and  other  Commodities  are  every  Year  brought  down  to  the 
upper  Landings  upon  the  said  River  to  be  shipped  off  and  trans- 
ported to  other  Parts  of  the  Country  and  it  is  necessary  that  the 
poorer  Part  of  the  said  Inhabitants  should  be  supplied  from  thence 
with  Goods  and  Merchandise  in  return  for  their  Commodities,  but 
for  Want  of  some  convenient  Place,  where  Traders  may  cohabit  and 
bring  their  Goods  to,  such  Supplies  are  not  to  be  had  without  great 
Disadvantages,  and  good  Houses  are  greatly  wanted  on  some  navi- 
gable Part  of  said  River,  near  the  Falls  for  the  Reception  of  safe 
keeping  of  such  Commodities  as  are  brought  thither  and  for  the 
Entertainment  and  Sustenance  of  those  who  repair  thither  from 
remote  Places  with  Carriages  drawn  by  Horses  and  Oxen;  and 
forasmuch  as  the  Inhabitants  of  the  County  of  Spotsylvania  have 
made  humble  Supplication  to  the  General  Assembly  that  a  Town 
may  be  laid  out  in  some  convenient  Place  near  the  Falls  of  said 
River,  for  the  cohabitation  of  such  as  are  minded  to  reside  there 
for  the  purposes  aforesaid,  whereby  the  peopling  of  that  remote 
Part  of  the  county  will  be  encouraged,  and  Trade  and  Navigation 
may  be  increased : 

II.  BE  it  enacted,  by  the  Lieutenant  Governor,  Council,  and 
Burgesses,  of  this  present  General  Assembly,  and  it  is  hereby  en- 
acted, by  the  Authority  of  the  same,  that  within  six  Months  after 
the  passing  of  this  Act  fifty  Acres  of  Land,  Parcel  of  a  Tract  of 
Land  belonging  to  John  Royston  and  Robert  Buckner,  of  the 
County  of  Gloucester,  situate,  lying  and  being  upon  the  South  Side 
of  the  River  Rappahannock  aforesaid  in  the  County  of  Spotsylvania 
commonly  called  or  known  by  the  Name  of  the  Lease  Land,  shall  be 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  39 

surveyed  and  laid  out,  taking  the  whole  Breadth  of  the  Tract  of 
Land  upon  the  River,  by  the  Surveyor  of  the  said  County  of 
Spotsylvania;  and  the  said  fifty  Acres  of  Land,  so  to  be  surveyed 
and  laid  out,  shall  be  and  is  hereby  vested  in  John  Robinson,  Esq ; 
Henry  Willis,  Augustin  Smith,  John  Taliaferro,  Harry  Beverley, 
John  Waller,  and  Jeremiah  Clowder,  of  the  County  of  Spotsyl- 
vania, Gentlemen,  and  their  Successors,  in  Trust,  for  the  several 
purposes  hereafter  mentioned;  and  the  said  John  Robinson,  Henry 
Willis,  Augustin  Smith,  John  Taliaferro,  Harry  Beverley,  John 
Waller  and  Jeremiah  Clowder,  are  hereby  constituted  and  ap- 
pointed Directors  and  Trustees  for  designing,  building,  carrying  on, 
and  maintaining,  a  Town  upon  the  said  Land:  And  the  said 
Directors  and  Trustees,  or  any  four  of  them,  shall  have  power  to 
meet  as  often  as  they  shall  think  necessary,  and  shall  lay  out  the 
said  fifty  Acres  in  Lots  and  Streets,  not  exceeding  Half  an  Acre 
of  Ground  in  each  Lot,  and  also  to  set  apart  such  Portions  of  said 
Land  for  a  Church  and  Church- Yard,  a  Market  Place,  and  publick 
Key,  and  to  appoint  such  Places  upon  the  River  for  publick  Land- 
ings, as  they  shall  think  most  convenient,  and,  if  the  same  shall  be 
necessary,  shall  direct  the  making  and  erecting  of  Wharfs  and 
Cranes  at  such  publick  Landings,  for  the  publick  Use.  And  when 
the  said  Town  shall  be  so  laid  out  the  said  Directors  and  Trustees 
shall  have  full  Power  and  Authority  to  sell  all  the  said  Lots  by 
publick  Sale  or  Auction,  from  Time  to  Time,  to  the  highest  Bidder, 
so  as  no  Person  shall  have  more  than  Two  Lots ;  and  when  such  Lots 
shall  be  sold,  any  two  of  the  said  Trustees  shall  and  may,  upon 
Payment  of  the  Purchase  Money,  by  some  sufficient  Conveyance  or 
Conveyances,  Convey  the  Fee  Simple,  Estate  of  such  Lot  or  Lots 
to  the  Purchaser  or  Purchasers:  And  he  or  they,  or  his  or  their 
Heirs  and  Assigns,  respectively,  shall  and  may  for  ever  thereafter 
peaceably  and  quietly  have,  hold,  possess,  and  enjoy,  the  same,  freed 
and  discharged  of  and  from  all  Right,  Title,  Estate,  Claim,  Interest, 
and  Demand  whatsoever  of  the  said  John  Royster  and  Robert  Buck- 
ner  and  the  Heirs  and  Assigns  of  them  respectively,  and  of  all  Per- 
sons whatsoever  claiming  by,  from,  or  under  them  or  either  of  them. 

III.  PROVIDED  nevertheless,  that  the  said  Directors  and  Trus- 


40  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

tees  shall  pay,  or  cause  to  be  paid,  unto  the  said  John  Royston  and 
Robert  Buckner,  out  of  the  Money  to  be  raised  by  the  Sale  of  the 
said  Lots,  as  soon  as  the  same  shall  be  by  them  received,  after  the 
Rate  of  forty  Shillings  for  every  Acre  of  the  said  fifty  Acres  of 
Land,  according  to  the  Right  which  the  said  John  Royston  and 
Robert  Buckner  now  respectively  have  to  the  same;  and  the  said 
John  Royston  and  Robert  Buckner  shall  also  have  each  of  them  two 
Lots,  which  shall  be  assigned  to  them  by  the  said  Directors  and  Trus- 
tees, and  they  shall  respectively  remain  seized  of  such  Lots  of  the 
same  Estate  whereof  they  were  respectively  seized  in  the  said  Land 
before  the  making  of  this  Act. 

IV.  AND  be  it  further  enacted,  by  the  Authority  aforesaid,  that 
after  the  said  Lots  shall  be  so  laid  out  and  disposed  of,  as  aforesaid, 
the  said  Directors,  or  any  four  of  them,  shall  have  full  Power  and 
Authority  to  apply  all  the  overplus  Money  which  shall  be  raised  by 
the  Sale  of  the  said  Lots  to  such  publick  Use;  for  the  common 
Benefit  of  the  Inhabitants  of  the  said  Town,  as  to  them  shall  seem 
best. 

V.  AND  be  it  further  enacted,  by  the  Authority  aforesaid,  that 
the  Grantee  or  Grantees  of  every  such  Lot  or  Lots,  so  to  be  conveyed 
and  sold  in  the  said  Town,  shall,  within  two  Years  next  after  the 
Date  of  the  Conveyance  for  the  same,  erect,  build,  and  finish,  on 
each  Lot  so  conveyed,  one  House,  of  Brick,  Stone  or  Wood  well 
framed,  of  the  Dimensions  of  Twenty  Feet  square,  and  nine  Feet 
Pitch  at  the  least,  or  apportionably  thereto,  if  such  Grantee  shall 
have  two  Lots  contiguous;  and  the  said  Directors  shall  have  full 
Power  and  Authority  to  establish  such  Rules  and  Orders,  for  the 
more  regular  placing  the  said  Houses,  as  to  them  shall  seem  fit, 
from  Time  to  Time.  And  if  the  Owner  of  any  Lots  shall  fail  to 
pursue  and  comply  with  the  Directions  herein  prescribed,  for  the 
building  and  finishing  one  or  more  House  or  Houses  thereon,  then 
such  Lots  upon  which  such  Houses  shall  not  be  so  built  and 
finished  shall  be  revested  in  the  said  Trustees,  and  shall  and  may 
be  sold  and  conveyed  to  any  other  Person  or  Persons  whatsoever, 
in  the  Manner  before  directed,  and  shall  revest,  and  be  again  sold, 
as  often  as  the  Owner  or  Owners  shall  fail  to  perform,  obey,  and 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  41 

fulfil,  the  Directions  aforesaid;  and  if  the  Inhabitants  of  the  said 
Town  shall  fail  to  obey  and  pursue  the  Kules  and  Orders  of  the 
said  Directors,  in  repairing  and  amending  the  Streets,  Landings, 
and  publick  Wharfs,  they  shall  be  liable  to  the  same  Penalties  as 
are  inflicted  for  not  repairing  the  Highways  of  this  Colony. 

VI.  AND  for  the  continuing  the  Succession  of  the  said  Trustees 
and  Directors,  until  the  Governour  of  this  Colony  shall  incorporate 
some  other  Persons  by  Letters  Patents,  under  the  Seal  of  this  Col- 
ony, to  be  one  Body  Politick  and  Corporate,  to  whom  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  said  Town  shall  be  committed,  Be  it  further  enacted, 
that  in  Case  of  the  Death  of  the  said  Directors,  or  of  their  Eefusal 
to  act,  the  surviving  or  other  Directors,  or  the  major  Part  of  them, 
shall  assemble,  and  are  hereby  Empowered,  from  Time  to  Time, 
by  Instrument  in  Writing,  under  their  respective  Hands  and  Seals, 
to  nominate  some  other  Person  or  Persons,  being  an  Inhabitant  or 
Freeholder  of  the  said  Town,  in  the  Place  of  him  so  dying  or  refus- 
ing ;  which  new  Director  or  Directors,  so  nominated  and  appointed, 
shall  from  thenceforth  have  the  like  Power  and  Authority,  in  all 
Things  relating  to  the  Matters  herein  contained,  as  if  he  or  they  had 
been  expressly  named  and  appointed  in  and  by  this  Act,  and  every 
such  Instrument  and  Nomination  shall  from  Time  to  Time  be  re- 
corded in  the  Books  of  the  said  Directors. 

VII.  AND  whereas  William  Livingston  is  possessed  of  a  Lease 
under  the  said  John  Royston,  for  certain  Years  to  come,  of  Part 
of  the  said  fifty  Acres  of  Land,  and  hath  erected  buildings  and 
made  several  Improvements  thereon,  which  will  be  taken  away 
when  the  said  Town  shall  be  laid  out:  For  making  Satisfaction 
for  which, 

VIII.  BE  it  further  enacted,  that  the  two  Lots  to  be  assigned  to 
the  said  John  Royston,  pursuant  to  this  Act,  shall  include  the 
Dwelling-House  and  Kitchen  of  the  said  William  Livingston,  and 
shall  be  held  and  enjoyed  by  him  for  the  Residue  of  the  said 
Term,  and  at  the  Expiration  thereof  shall  revert  unto,  and  be 
vested  in,  the  said  John  Royston,  as  aforesaid;  and,  moreover,  the 
said  Trustees  are  hereby  enjoined  and  required  to  pay  unto  the  said 
William  Livingston  the  Sum  of  twenty  Pounds  current  Money  out 


42  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

of  the  Monies  arising  by  Sale  of  Lots,  as  a  Consideration  and  Com- 
pensation for  the  said  Lease. 

IX.  AND  be  it  further  enacted,  that  the  Town  aforesaid  shall  be 
called  by  the  Name  of  Fredericksburg. 

This  act  of  incorporation  which  elevated  the  Lease  Land  into  the 
town  of  Fredericksburg,  was  signed  by  William  Gooch,  Esq.,  Gov- 
ernor, and  John  Holliday,  Speaker. 

By  the  authority  conferred  upon  the  trustees  of  the  town  by  the 
sixth  section  of  the  above  act,  the  following  paper  was  issued  by 
the  board  of  trustees,  appointing  Augustine  Washington,  the  father 
of  General  George  Washington,  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  town. 
The  original  was  presented  to  the  town  some  years  ago  by  one  of  the 
descendants  of  Augustine  Washington,  and  is  now  preserved  in  the 
clerk's  office : 

"Whereas,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  of  the  town  of  Fredericks- 
burg, April  6th  1742,  according  to  directions  of  act  of  Assembly, 
Intitled  an  Act  for  erecting  a  Town  in  both  of  the  counties  of 
Spotsylvania  and  King  George,  To  Supply  the  number  of  Trustees 
in  the  Room  of  those  Gentlemen  deceased,  we  have  Unanimously 
made  Choise  of,  and  Elected,  Augustine  Washington,  Gent.,  to  be 
one  of  the  Trustees  or  Feoffees  for  the  town  of  Fredericksburg,  in 
Spotsylvania  county  to  fill  up  and  compleat  our  full  number  and 
for  confirming  of  the  same  We  have  according  to  Directions  of  the 
Sd  Act,  set  our  hands  and  seals,  this  20th  day  of  April,  1742. 

John  Taliaferro,  John  Allen, 

John  Waller,  Rob  Jackson. 

Ira  Thornton, 

In  the  year  1732  the  seat  of  justice,  which  had  been  located  at 
Germanna,  where  Governor  Spotswood  had  settled,  and  where  he 
started  and  operated  the  first  iron  works  in  this  country,  heretofore 
mentioned,  was  removed  to  Fredericksburg  as  a  more  convenient 
place.  That  change  did  not  continue  long,  for,  in  1749,  the  law 
was  again  changed  and  the  court  was  moved  back  to  Germanna, 
where  it  was  held  for  several  years,  and  until  it  was  located  at 


w 


- 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  43 

Holidays,  thence  to  the  old  Courthouse  and  finally  to  Spotsylvania 
Courthouse,  where  it  was  held  until  abolished  by  the  new  Consti- 
tution. 

In  1732,  five  years  after  the  town  was  established  by  law,  Col. 
Byrd,  then  living  on  the  James  river,  where  Kichmond  now  stands, 
made  a  visit  to  Fredericksburg.  This  visit  was  made  at  the  time  he 
made  his  trip  to  Germanna  to  see  his  old  friend  Governor  Spots- 
wood.  While  here  Col.  Byrd  wrote  a  description  of  the  new  town 
to  a  friend  as  he  saw  it,  as  follows : 

"Colonel  Willis  walked  me  about  his  new  town  of  Fredericksburg. 
It  is  pleasantly  situated  on  the  south  shore  of  the  Kappahannock 
river,  about  a  mile  below  the  falls.  Sloops  may  come  and  lie  close 
to  the  wharf,  within  thirty  yards  of  the  public  warehouse  which  is 
built  in  the  figure  of  a  cross.  Just  by  the  wharf  is  a  quarry  of 
white  stone  that  is  very  soft  in  the  ground,  and  hardens  in  the  air, 
appearing  to  be  as  fair  and  fine  grained  as  that  of  Portland.  Be- 
sides that,  there  are  several  other  quarries  in  the  river  bank,  within 
the  limits  of  the  town,  sufficient  to  build  a  large  city.  The  only 
edifice  of  stone  yet  built  is  the  prison,  the  walls  of  which  are  strong 
enough  to  hold  Jack  Sheppard,  if  he  had  been  transported  thither. 
Though  this  be  a  commodious  and  beautiful  situation  for  a  town, 
with  the  advantages  of  a  navigable  river,  and  wholesome  air,  yet 
the  inhabitants  are  very  few.  Besides  Colonel  Willis,  who  is  the 
top  man  of  the  place,  there  are  only  one  merchant,  a  tailor,  a  smith, 
an  ordinary-keeper,  and  a  lady,  Mrs.  Livingston,  who  acts  here  in 
the  double  capacity  of  a  doctress  and  a  coffee-woman.  It  is  said  the 
courthouse  and  the  church  are  going  to  be  built  here,  and  then  both 
religion  and  justice  will  help  to  enlarge  the  place." 

The  church  spoken  of  was  built  soon  after  Col.  Byrd's  visit.  It 
was  located  on  the  lot  where  St.  George's  church  building  now 
stands.  It  was  a  wooden  structure,  about  thirty  by  forty  feet,  to 
which  two  additions  were  made  as  the  town  increased  in  population. 
The  first  addition  was  made  to  the  side  of  the  church,  which  gave 
the  building  the  shape  of  a  capital  T,  and  the  second  one  was  made 
a  few  years  afterwards  on  the  opposite  side,  giving  the  building  the 
form  of  a  cross. 


44  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

The  first  rector  of  the  new  church  was  Rev.  Patrick  Henry,  uncle 
of  the  great  Virginia  orator,  Patrick  Henry.  Mr.  Henry  remained 
rector  for  a  short  time,  and  was  followed,  in  1734,  by  Rev.  James 
Marye,  of  Goochland  county,  who  was  the  great  great  grandfather  of 
our  late  honored  fellow  citizen,  Gov.  John  L.  Marye.  Mr.  Marye 
had  charge  of  two  churches  within  the  parish,  one  located  on  the  Po 
river  and  the  other  at  Fredericksburg.  His  salary  for  the  first  year 
for  the  entire  parish  was  discharged  with  sixteen  thousand  pounds 
of  "farm  tobacco."  St.  George's  church  is  noticed  more  at  length 
under  the  head  of  churches. 

CATTLE   AND   MERCHANDISE   FAIRS. 

In  the  year  1738  a  law  was  passed  by  the  House  of  Burgesses 
authorizing  and  directing  that  "fairs  should  be  held  in  Fredericks- 
burg twice  a  year  for  the  sale  of  cattle,  provisions,  goods,  wares,  and 
all  kinds  of  merchandise  whatever."  The  act  provided  that  all 
persons  at  such  fairs,  going  to  or  from  them,  were  privileged  from 
arrest  and  execution  during  the  fairs,  and  for  two  days  before  and 
two  days  after  them,  except  for  capital  offences,  breaches  of  the 
peace,  or  for  any  controversies,  suits  and  quarrels  that  might  arise 
during  the  time.  These  fairs  were  continued  from  time  to  time, 
by  various  acts  and  amendments,  until  1769,  when  the  right  of 
holding  them  was  made  perpetual,  they  having  proved  a  benefit  to 
both  town  and  county.  We  have  no  record  as  to  when  they  ceased 
to  be  held  and  no  citizen  now  living  remembers  to  have  attended 
one.  They  may  have  been  changed  into  agricultural  fairs,  which 
are  mentioned  elsewhere. 

ANOTHER    SURVEY    OF    THE   TOWN. 

In  March,  1739,  the  trustees  of  the  town  found  it  necessary  to 
have  another  survey  and  plat  of  Fredericksburg  made.  This  work 
was  done  by  William  Waller,  Surveyor  of  Spotsylvania  county. 
By  this  new  survey  it  appears  that  the  lots  and  buildings  of  the 
town  had  not  only  occupied  the  original  fifty  acres,  but  had  also  en- 
croached upon  the  lands  of  Henry  Willis  and  John  Lewis;  and, 
as  this  gave  rise  to  controversies  and  threatened  law  suits,  the  Lieu- 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  45 

tenant-Governor,  Council  and  Burgesses  of  the  General  Assembly 
passed  an  act  in  May,  1742,  which  was  declared  to  be  "for  removing 
all  doubts  and  controversies,"  and  which  declared  that  these  lands, 
belonging  to  the  estate  of  Henry  Willis  and  John  Lewis,  should 
be  held  and  taken  to  be  part  of  Fredericksburg  and  vested  in  the 
trustees,  and  purchasers  claiming  under  them;  provided,  that  the 
trustees  should  pay  to  the  executors  of  Henry  "Willis  five  pounds, 
and  to  John  Lewis  fifteen  pounds.  The  area  of  the  town,  as  ascer- 
tained by  this  survey,  was  not  quite  fifty-three  acres. 

The  irregularity  of  the  buildings  having  necessitated  an  enlarge- 
ment of  the  original  fifty  acres,  the  style  of  buildings  must  have 
caused  serious  apprehensions  of  danger  from  fire,  as  we  find  that, 
in  1742,  it  was  represented  to  the  General  Assembly  that  the 
people  were  often  in  great  and  imminent  danger  of  having  their 
houses  and  effects  burned  by  reason  of  the  many  wooden  chimneys 
in  the  town,  and,  therefore,  it  was  made  unlawful  to  build  any 
wooden  chimneys  in  the  town  thereafter,  and  unlawful,  after  the 
expiration  of  three  years,  to  use  any  wooden  chimney  already  built ; 
and,  in  case  the  owners  did  not,  within  three  years,  pull  down  and 
destroy  these  wooden  chimneys,  the  sheriff  was  authorized  to  do  so, 
at  the  expense  of  the  owners  thereof. 


CHAPTER  IV 

Encouraging  Home  Industries — Further  Extension  of  the  Town — 
Tobacco  Inspectors — Modes  of  Punishment — Prosperity — Mili- 
tary Ardor — Under  the  United  States. 

In  1759  an  act  was  passed  by  the  General  Assembly  to  encourage 
the  "Arts  and  Manufactures  in  the  Colony,"  but  wine  and  silk 
making  seemed  to  have  predominated  all  others,  wine  having  the 
decided  preference  as  will  readily  be  seen.  In  the  act  it  was  set 
forth  that  five  hundred  pounds  should  be  paid  as  a  premiun  to 
the  person  who  should,  in  any  one  year,  within  eight  years  from 
the  date  of  its  passage,  make  the  best  wine  in  quantity  not  less  than 
ten  hogsheads,  and  one  hundred  pounds  should  be  paid  to  the  per- 
son making  the  second  best.  It  was  provided  that  the  money  for 
these  premiums  should  be  raised  by  the  annual  subscriptions  of 
public-spirited  gentlemen  who  were  willing  to  encourage  the  under- 
taking; and  it  was  further  provided  that,  if  the  subscriptions  would 
justify  it,  a  handsome  premium  should  be  given  for  silk  making. 
It  was  also  stipulated  that  if  there  was  an  "overplus  of  money," 
after  the  premiums  on  wine  and  silk  making  were  provided  for,  it 
was  to  "be  given  for  the  encouragement  of  such  other  articles  as 
should  appear  to  the  committee  most  advantageous  to  the  colony." 
Among  those  who  contributed  the  first  year  for  this  purpose,  who 
were  then,  or  had  been,  citizens  of  Fredericksburg,  were  the  fol- 
lowing gentlemen  who  subscribed  two  pounds  each:  Robert  Car- 
ter, Pressley  Thornton,  George  Washington,  James  Mercer,  "William 
Bernard,  David  Ker,  Philip  Rootes,  Thomas  Reade  Rootes,  Alexan- 
der Ross,  John  Champ. 

FURTHER  EXTENSION  OF  THE  TOWN. 

In  1763  an  act  was  passed  by  the  General  Assembly  extending 
the  corporate  limits  of  the  town,  but  to  what  extent  we  do  not  know, 
as  we  have  been  unable  to  find  the  act  or  any  of  its  provisions. 

[4i] 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  4? 

REGULATING  TOBACCO  INSPECTORS. 

In  1764  the  General  Assembly  passed  an  act  for  "Amending  the 
Staple  of  Tobacco  and  for  Preventing  Frauds  in  his  Majesty's  Cus- 
toms." It  was  a  very  lengthy  bill,  having  seventy-seven  sections, 
ten  more  than  any  other  act  ever  before  passed  by  that  body,  and 
severe  penalties  were  prescribed  for  its  violation.  The  bill  was 
necessarily  long  and  severe  penalties  were  prescribed  because  it  had 
reference  to  the  raising,  curing,  packing  and  sale  of  tobacco,  which 
was  one  of  the  principal  products  of  Virginia,  and  the  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  tobacco  inspectors  and  their  proper  management 
of  tobacco  warehouses.  Besides  tobacco  being  one  of  the  important 
crops  raised  in  the  colony,  if  not  the  most  important  one,  large 
quantities  of  it  were  shipped  to  the  old  country  and  sold  for  good 
prices.  In  addition  to  this,  tobacco  was  used  in  the  colony  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  money,  as  all  debts  between  private  individuals,  as  well 
as  those  due  the  colony,  were  paid  in  tobacco.  The  bill  provided 
for  public  warehouses,  for  the  proper  inspection  of  tobacco  and  for 
public  inspectors,  appointed  by  the  Governor  and  his  Council,  not 
less  than  two  at  each  warehouse,  who,  besides  taking  an  oath  of 
office,  were  placed  under  heavy  bonds  with  security,  the  penalty 
being  five  hundred  pounds  sterling  for  the  faithful  performance 
of  their  duties.  One  of  these  public  warehouses  was  located  in  Fred- 
ericksburg, and  may  have  been  the  old  stone  house  on  Water  street, 
just  below  the  free  bridge.  The  oath  required  to  be  taken  by  these 
public  inspectors  was  as  follows : 

"You  shall  swear  that  you  will  diligently  and  carefully  view  and 
examine  all  tobacco  brought  to  any  public  warehouse  or  warehouses 
where  you  are  appointed  to  be  inspector,  and  that  not  separately 
and  apart  from  your  fellow,  but  in  his  presence;  and  that  you  will 
not  receive  any  tobacco  that  is  not  in  your  judgment  sound,  well 
conditioned,  merchantable  and  clear  of  trash,  nor  receive,  pass  or 
stamp  any  tobacco,  hogshead  or  cask  of  tobacco,  prohibited  by  one 
act  of  Assembly,  entitled  an  act  for  amending  the  sample  of  tobacco, 
and  preventing  frauds  in  his  Majesty's  customs ;  and  that  you  will 
not  change,  alter  or  give  out  any  tobacco,  other  than  such  h©gs- 


48  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

heads  or  casks  for  which  the  receipt  to  be  taken  was  given ;  but  that 
you  will  in  all  things  well  and  faithfully  discharge  your  duty  in  the 
office  of  inspector,  according  to  the  best  of  your  skill  and  judgment 
and  according  to  the  directions  of  said  act,  without  fear,  favor, 
affection,  malice  or  partiality.     So  help  me  God." 

The  receipts  given  by  the  inspectors  of  the  public  warehouse  in 
Fredericksburg,  according  to  the  provisions  of  the  act,  were  to  pass 
and  be  current  in  the  town  and  county  of  Spotsylvania  for  the  pay- 
ment of  all  quit-rents,  county  and  town  levies  and  for  officers'  fees. 
As  this  provision  of  law  made  them  current  for  public  dues,  the 
public  also  adopted  them  as  currency  and  they  were  used  for  the 
payment  of  all  obligations.  These  receipts  were  protected  by  severe 
penalties  against  counterfeiting  and  forgery,  and  each  one  repre- 
sented so  many  hundred  pounds  of  tobacco  deposited  at  the  public 
warehouse. 

MILITARY    ARDOR    OF    THE    TOWN. 

Fredericksburg  continued  to  grow  in  population  and  material 
prosperity,  and  also  improve  in  the  intelligence  and  public  spirit  of 
its  inhabitants,  until  the  year  1775,  when  the  affairs  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  American  Colonies  were  verging  to  a  crisis.  Her 
leading  citizens  were  among  the  very  first  in  Virginia  to  adopt  the 
principle  that  the  American  Colonies  ought  not  only  to  be  exempt 
from  taxation  by  the  Mother  Country,  but  should  be  free  and  inde- 
pendent States.  The  battle  of  Lexington  was  fought  on  the  19th 
day  of  April,  1775,  and  on  the  20th,  the  following  day,  Lord  Dun- 
more  secretly  removed  twenty  barrels  of  gunpowder  from  the  public 
magazine  in  Williamsburg  to  the  Magdalen  Man-of-war,  which 
anchored  off  Yorktown.  When  the  news  of  the  battle  of  Lexington, 
and  of  the  removal  of  the  powder,  reached  Fredericksburg,  great 
excitement  prevailed.  Over  six  hundred  men  armed  themselves, 
from  the  town  and  surrounding  country,  assembled  at  the  Court- 
house in  town  and  offered  their  services  to  George  Washington, 
who  was  then  in  Williamsburg,  to  defend  that  city  from  Lord 
Dunmore's  threatened  attack,  and  the  country  from  his  tyranny. 

After  assembling  they  dispatched  delegates  to  Eichmond  and 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  49 

Williamsburg  to  ascertain  the  condition  of  affairs  and  to  what  point 
they  should  report  for  duty.  In  the  meantime,  those  ardent  pa- 
triots, George  Washington,  Peyton  Eandolph  and  Edmund  Pendle- 
ton, transmitted  their  advice  to  the  people  of  Fredericksburg,  and 
especially  those  who  had  formed  the  military  organization,  to 
abstain  for  the  present  from  hostilities  until  a  congress,  then  called 
or  soon  to  be  called,  should  decide  upon  a  general  plan  of  resistance. 

On  the  receipt  of  this  advice,  these  patriots  held  a  council,  consist- 
ing of  more  than  one  hundred  men,  representing  fourteen  companies, 
who,  by  a  majority  of  one  vote,  decided  to  disperse  for  the  present 
They  were  burning  with  indignation  at  the  murderous  attack  made 
upon  their  brethren  of  Lexington,  Mass.,  by  the  armed  soldiers  of 
Great  Britian,  and  the  unlawful  arrests,  and  retention  as  prisoners, 
of  some  of  the  leading  citizens  of  Massachusetts  by  British  military 
officers.  And  this  feeling  of  indignation  was  intensified  when  they 
saw  that  this  outrage  was  followed  the  next  day  by  another  per- 
petrated in  their  own  colony  and  by  their  own  Governor ;  and  when 
he  threatened  to  return  from  Yorktown,  whither  he  had  fled  for 
safety,  and  attack  Williamsburg  with  a  man-of-war  they  were  con- 
vinced that  the  enemies  of  the  Patriots,  the  British  and  Tories, 
understood  each  other  and  were  acting  in  concert.  Yet,  upon 
the  advice  of  those  whose  lead  they  were  willing  to  follow,  and 
whose  commands  they  were  ready  to  obey,  they  agreed  to  disband 
for  the  present.  Before  dispersing,  however,  they  drafted  an  ad- 
dress, which  was  tantamount  to  a  declaration  of  independence,  in 
which  they  firmly  resolved  to  resist  all  attempts  against  their  rights 
and  privileges,  from  whatever  quarter  they  might  be  assailed. 

They  went  further  than  to  just  pass  resolutions;  they  pledged 
themselves,  solemnly  and  firmly  one  to  the  other,  to  be  in  readiness, 
at  a  moment's  warning,  to  reassemble,  and,  by  force  of  arms,  to  de- 
fend the  laws,  liberties  and  the  rights  of  this  or  any  sister  colony, 
from  unjust  and  wicked  invasions.  They  then  sent  dispatches  to 
patriots  assembled  in  Caroline,  Berkeley,  Frederick  and  Dunmore 
counties,  thanking  them  for  their  offer  of  service  and  acquainting 
them  with  the  condition  of  public  affairs  and  their  determination  to 
be  ready  at  a  moment's  notice  to  respond  to  any  call  that  might 
4 


50  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

be  made  by  the  patriotic  leaders,  who  were  then  holding  a  council 
in  Williamsburg.  The  resolutions  and  pledges  were  read  at  the 
head  of  each  company  of  patriots  encamped  at  Fredericksburg, 
and  unanimously  approved  and  adopted.  The  address  concluded 
with  the  impressive  words,  "God,  save  the  liberties  of  America," 
which  were  a  substitute  for  the  off-repeated  words,  "God,  save  the 
King." 

These  resolutions  were  passed  twenty-one  days  before  the  cele- 
brated Mecklenburg  resolutions  in  North  Carolina  were,  and  more 
than  a  year  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence  by  the  Ameri- 
can Congress,  which  showed  the  intense  patriotic  fervor  of  the  people 
of  Fredericksburg  at  that  early  period,  many  of  whom  bore  a  heroic 
part  in  the  subsequent  struggle  of  the  Seven  Years'  war  that  fol- 
lowed. Among  the  number  assembled  with  these  lovers  of  liberty, 
and  most  prominent,  were  Gen.  Geo.  Weedon,  who  served  on  Gen. 
Washington's  staff,  commanded  with  distinction  a  division  at  the 
surrender  of  Yorktown,  and  afterwards  for  several  terms  served  as 
mayor  of  the  town;  Gen.  Hugh  Mercer,  who  rose  to  the  rank  of 
Major-General  and  was  killed  at  Princeton,  New  Jersey,  on  January 
3,  1777,  and  Gen.  Gustavus  B.  Wallace,  who  served  gallantly 
through  the  war,  attaining  to  the  rank  of  Brigadier-General. 

FREDERICKSBURG  UNDER  THE  UNITED  STATES. 

The  long  tobacco  act  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  was  the  last  act 
passed  by  that  body  that  affected  the  commercial  interest  of  the 
town  or  the  agricultural  interest  of  the  surrounding  country  that 
we  have  any  knowledge  of.  The  Eevolutionary  war  soon  followed 
and  our  independence  and  new  government  was  the  result.  It  is 
not  considered  necessary  in  this  work  to  attempt  to  give  the  part 
Fredericksburg  bore  in  that  struggle — the  generals  she  furnished  to 
command  the  armies  and  navy  of  the  country,  the  line  officers  and 
soldiers  she  sent  forth  to  meet  and  repel  the  invader,  the  statesmen 
she  gave  to  provide  for  the  armies  or  to  form  the  new  government 
and  to  guide  it  to  a  successful,  permanent  and  solid  establishment. 
All  of  these  things  are  told  by  the  records  and  histories  of  the  State 
and  country  more  accurately  and  in  a  more  pleasing  style  than  we 
can  narrate  them.     We  therefore  pass  to  the  new  order  of  things. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  51 

FREDERICKSBURG  IN  THE  REPUBLIC. 

The  first  act  of  the  Legislature  of  Virginia  in  reference  to  Fred- 
ericksburg, after  the  establishment  of  the  young  republic,  was  to 
grant  it  a  charter,  which  bill  was  passed  in  1781.  It  provided  for 
the  town  a  Mayor,  Eecorder,  Board  of  Aldermen  and  a  Common 
Council,  and  required  that  all  of  them  should  be  freeholders.  They 
were  made  a  body  politic  by  the  name  and  designation  of  Mayor 
and  Commonalty  of  the  town  of  Fredericksburg,  and  by  that  title 
were  to  have  perpetual  succession.  The  Mayor,  Eecorder  and  the  four 
Aldermen  were  ex-officio  Justices  of  the  Peace,  and  had  power  to 
hold  a  court  of  hustings  once  a  month,  and  to  "hold  pleas  in  all 
cases  whatsoever  originating  within  the  limits"  of  the  town  and  to 
"low  water  mark  on  the  northwest  side  of  the  Eappahannock  river 
and  half  a  mile  without  and  around  the  other  limits  of  the  said 
town."  They  were  given  the  sole  authority  and  power  of  "licensing 
tavern  keepers  and  settling  their  rates,"  to  appoint  a  sergeant  with 
the  powers  of  sheriffs,  a  "constable  and  other  necessary  officers  of 
court  and  surveyors  of  the  streets  and  highways."  A  surveyor  of  the 
streets  was  appointed  at  the  first  hustings  court  held  by  the  Mayor 
and  his  fellow  magistrates,  but  he  was  known  as  the  "Geographer" 
of  the  town  for  more  than  half  a  century,  and  was  often  so  entered 
upon  the  court  records. 

In  civil  cases  the  hustings  court  was  not  to  have  jurisdiction 
where  the  amount  in  controversy  exceeded  one  thousand  pounds  of 
leaf  tobacco,  or  its  value  in  money,  unless  both  parties  to  the  suit 
were  citizens  of  the  town  when  the  suit  was  instituted. 

The  corporate  authorities  were  authorized  to  assess  the  inhabi- 
tants and  all  property  within  the  actual  bounds  of  the  town  for  all 
the  charges  of  repairing  the  streets,  and  other  matters  of  muni- 
cipal expense.  They  were  empowered  to  erect  workhouses,  houses 
of  correction,  prisons  and  other  public  buildings,  and  to  pass  all 
necessary  ordinances  for  the  good  government  of  the  town.  They 
were  to  have  two  market  days  in  each  week,  and  appoint  a  clerk  of 
the  market,  "who  shall  have  assize  of  bread,  wine,  wood  and  other 
things,"  and  perform  all  the  duties  of  Clerk  of  the  Market.     The 


52  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

market  days  were  fixed  by  law  on  Wednesdays  and  Saturdays.  It 
was  also  provided  in  the  charter  that  if  any  person  elected  to  an 
office  failed  or  refused  to  serve,  he  was  to  be  fined.  The  fines  were 
regulated  as  follows :  "For  a  Mayor-elect,  fifty  pounds ;  for  the  Re- 
corder, forty  pounds;  for  any  Alderman,  thirty  pounds;  for  any 
Common  Councilman,  twenty-five  pounds;  for  the  City  Sergeant, 
one  hundred  pounds ;  for  the  Constable,  fifty  pounds ;  for  the  Clerk 
of  the  Hustings  Court  and  the  Clerk  of  the  Market,  each  fifty 
pounds;  the  Surveyor  of  Streets  or  Roads,  each  thirty  pounds." 
These  several  fines  were  to  be  imposed  by  the  hustings  court,  and  "to 
be  levied  by  execution  against  the  goods  and  chatties  of  the  offender." 

The  charter  also  provided  that  in  case  of  "misconduct  in  the  office 
of  Mayor,  Recorder,  Aldermen  or  Common  Councilmen,  or  either 
of  them,  the  others,  being  seven  at  least,  shall  have  power  to  remove 
the  offenders/'  and  in  case  the  other  officers  were  guilty  of  mis- 
conduct, the  power  appointing  them  was  clothed  with  the  authority 
of  revoking  the  appointment.  It  was  provided  that  if  the  office 
of  Mayor  should  become  vacant,  the  Recorder  was  to  succeed  to  the 
office,  the  oldest  Alderman  was  to  become  Recorder,  and  "so  on 
according  to  priority." 

It  was  further  provided  "that  all  the  property,  real  and  personal, 
now  held  and  possessed  by  the  trustees  of  the  said  town  of  Freder- 
icksburg, in  law  or  equity,  or  in  trust,  for  the  use  and  benefit  of  the 
inhabitants  thereof,  and  particularly  the  charity  donation  of  Archi- 
bald McPherson,  deceased,  now  vested  in  the  trustees  of  said  town 
in  trust,  for  the  education  of  poor  children,  shall  be  and  the  same 
are  hereby  transferred  and  vested  in  the  Mayor  and  Commonalty  of 
said  town,  to  and  for  the  same  uses,  intents  and  purposes  as  the 
trustees  of  the  town  now  hold  the  same." 

At  the  session  of  the  Legislature  in  1782  the  charter  of  the  town 
was  amended  and  the  jurisdiction  of  the  hustings  court  was  extended 
one  mile  without  and  around  the  former  limits  of  the  town  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Rappahannock  river,  and  made  a  court  of  record 
and  as  such  was  authorized  to  receive  probate  of  wills  and  deeds 
and  grant  administrations  in  as  full  and  ample  manner  as  the 
county  courts  could  or  might  do.     But  no  will  was  to  be  admitted 


"Rising  Sun  Tavern,"  kept  by  Gen.  Geo.  Weedon  prior  to  1775; 

now  the  property  of  the  A.  P.  of  V.  A. 

(See  page  148) 


Mary  Washington  Monument,  erected   by  the  Women  of  America; 

Wm.  J.  Crawford,  architect. 

(See  page  157) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  53 

to  proof  and  no  administration  was  to  be  granted  unless  the  parties 
were  citizens  and  residents  of  the  town  at  the  time  of  their  death, 
and  no  deeds  for  conveyance  of  land  were  to  be  admitted  to  record 
unless  the  lands  conveyed  lay  within  the  limits  of  the  corporation. 
The  court  was  empowered  and  authorized  to  appoint  a  person 
skilled  in  the  law  to  prosecute  for  the  Commonwealth  and  pay  him 
a  reasonable  salary  for  his  services,  and  when  the  Attorney  for  the 
Commonwealth  was  appointed  for  the  town,  it  was  to  be  exempt 
from  paying  any  part  of  the  salary  of  the  Attorney  for  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Spotsylvania  county. 

RAPID  GROWTH  OF  THE  TOWN. 

On  the  petition  of  sixty-four  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the 
town,  property  owners  and  tax  payers,  complaining  that 
certain  provisions  and  requirements  of  the  original  charter  of  the 
town,  granted  in  1727,  had  not  been  enforced  by  the  Council  and 
complied  with  by  lot  owners,  the  Common  Council,  in  1782,  passed 
an  order  which  resulted  in  great  benefit  to  the  town  in  the  way 
of  improving  vacant  lots,  erecting  buildings  and  furnishing  per- 
manent homes  for  artisans,  mechanics  and  laboring  men.  In  the 
memorial  submitted  to  the  Council,  these  property  owners  com- 
plained of  "being  frequently  subjected  to  the  payment  of  many 
heavy  Taxes  and  charges  for  the  general  benefit  and  improvement 
of  the  said  Town  of  which  many  proprietors  of  unimproved  Lotts 
pay  no  part,  although  their  property  is  thereby  daily  rendered  more 
valuable;  That  the  proprietors  of  said  Lotts,  although  wealthy, 
will  neither  build  on  them,  nor  sell  to  those  who  would,  unless  for 
exorbitant  prices,  by  means  whereof  Rents  are  high  and  many  use- 
ful tradesmen  are  prevented  from  residing  in  the  said  Town,  to 
remedy  which  your  petitioners  pray  that  you,  as  Guardians  of  the 
said  Corporation,  will  take  into  your  consideration  an  Act  of  Assem- 
bly, passed  in  the  year  of  our  Lord  One  thousand,  seven  hundred 
and  twenty  seven,  entitled  an  Act  for  erecting  a  Town  in  each  of 
the  counties  of  Spotsylvania  and  King  George*  or  so  much  of  the 

•  The  town  referred  to  in  the  county  of  King  George  is  the  town  of  Fal- 
mouth, on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  and  a  mile  and  a  half  above  Fred- 
ericksburg. The  act  that  made  Fredericksburg  a  town  also  gave  Falmouth  a 
legal  existence.  At  the  time  of  the  passage  of  the  act  that  territory  belonged 
to  King  George  county,  but  now  to  Stafford  county. 


54  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

said  Act  as  may  relate  to  the  said  Town  of  Fredericksburg.  A  due 
execution  of  said  Law,  your  petitioners  Conceive,  will  be  productive 
of  many  real  and  very  essential  advantages  to  the  said  corporation ; 
by  encouraging  the  peopling  of  it  and  increasing  its  Trade  and 
Navigation.  Your  petitioners  do  not  wish  that  any  immediate 
advantage  may  be  taken  of  failures  or  defaults  already  heretofore 
suffered,  by  noncompliance  with  the  above  mentioned  Act,  but  that 
Public  notice  may  be  given  to  the  proprietors  of  such  unimproved 
Lotts  that  a  strict  execution  of  the  above  mentioned  Act  of  Assem- 
bly will  be  observed  with  all  such  as  shall,  in  future,  fail  to  perform, 
fulfil  and  comply  with  the  rules  and  directions  therein  set  forth." 

In  consideration  of  the  complaints  of  these  citizens  and  the  wise 
suggestions  made  in  their  communication,  as  well  as  the  require- 
ments of  the  act  referred  to,  the  Council  ordered  "that  notice  be 
given  to  the  Proprietors  of  unimproved  Lotts  within  this  corpora- 
tion, by  advertisement  in  the  Public  News  Papers,  that  they  im- 
mediately pay  up  the  Taxes  due  on  said  Lotts  within  this  Town 
and  that  they  be  informed  that  they  must  build  on  their  unim- 
proved Lotts,  agreeable  to  the  Act  of  Assembly,  passed  in  One 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  Twenty-seven,  for  establishing  a  Town 
in  the  County  of  Spotsylvania,  otherwise  the  Lotts  will  be  sold 
agreeble  to  the  said  Act." 

In  consequence  of  the  enforcement  of  this  order  of  the  Common 
Council,  both  the  taxable  values,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  town, 
increased  rapidly.  Instead  of  an  empty  treasury,  as  the  town  then 
had,  and  the  necessity  it  found  itself  under  of  appealing  to  the 
public  for  subscriptions  for  money  with  which  to  repair  and  enlarge 
the  church,  to  repair  the  market  house,  the  courthouse  and  jail, 
so  they  could  be  used,  the  town  soon  had  money  for  ordinary  pur- 
poses, and  also  for  repairing  the  public  buildings,  many  of  which 
had  been  used  during  the  war  by  the  soldiers  of  General  Washing- 
ton's army,  leaving  a  good  balance  in  the  treasury,  after  the  work 
was  done.  Nor  was  that  all;  in  1791,  under  the  "Domestic  Loan 
Act"  of  Congress,  the  town  loaned  to  the  general  government 
$3,500.     This  loan  was  evidenced  by  four  certificates,  issued  by  the 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  55 

"Loan  office"  of  the  Government  in  Washington  and  are  duly  re- 
corded in  the  record  book  of  the  Common  Council. 

METHODS    OF    PUNISHMENT. 

It  may  be  interesting  to  note  that  in  the  olden  times  there  were 
other  methods  resorted  to  for  punishing  criminals  besides  fines, 
jails  and  penitentiaries,  which  are  not  used  in  this  day  and  time. 
The  Common  Council,  in  1785,  passed  a  resolution  ordering  Ser- 
geant John  Richards  to  "erect  immediately  a  whipping  post,  stocks 
and  ducking  stool."  The  whipping  post  was  used  mainly  for  the 
slaves  who  were  guilty  of  small  infractions  of  the  law,  but  for 
aggravated  offences,  the  penalty  was  "thirty-nine  lashes  on  his  bare 
back,  well  laid  on,"  to  which  was  added  "burning  in  the  left  hand, 
in  the  presence  of  the  court."  The  whipping  post  is  said  to  have 
been  used  for  habitual  persistent  absence  from  church,  but  it  was 
very  seldom  used  for  that  purpose,  and  never  in  Fredericksburg  so 
far  as  we  have  discovered  from  the  records. 

The  stocks  were  used  to  punish  white  persons  for  petty  offences, 
such  as  vagrancy,  trespassing  and  similar  infractions  of  the  law. 
The  stocks  consisted  of  a  frame  of  timber,  with  holes  in  which  the 
ankles  and  wrists  of  the  offenders  were  confined.  The  stocks  were 
erected  in  the  public  square  and  it  is  said  the  passers-by,  and  those 
who  had  gathered  around  them,  through  curiosity,  would  taunt 
and  jeer  at  the  criminals  thus  confined  for  punishment. 

The  ducking  stool  was  used  for  punishing  common  scolds,  re- 
fractory women  and  dishonest  tradesmen,  especially  brewers  and 
bakers.  The  ducking  stool  for  Fredericksburg  was  erected  on  the 
bank  of  the  Rappahannock  river,  at  the  foot  of  "Wolfe  street,  near 
where  the  old  Stafford  bridge  spanned  the  river.  There  are  several 
of  our  old  citizens  now  living  who  remember  when  it  was  in  use, 
and  when  it  was  dispensed  with,  nearly  seventy  years  ago.  A 
"ducking"  always  brought  together  a  large  crowd,  most  of  whom 
were  rude  and  disorderly,  and  jeers  at  and  ridicule  of  the  party 
"ducked"  would  rend  the  air,  while  the  sentence  of  the  court  was 
being  carried  out.  It  is  said  that  some  of  the  "scolding  women," 
as  they  would  emerge  from  the  water  would  send  forth  volumes  of 


56  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

abuse  at  the  disorderly  crowd,  while  the  officer  waited  for  the  next 
bath,  and  this  was  kept  up  until  the  order  of  the  court  was  fully 
executed.  It  seemed  to  be  the  wish  of  the  authorities  that  the  whole 
population  would  turn  out  and  witness  these  different  modes  of 
punishment,  with  the  hope  that  it  would  deter  others  from  com- 
mitting similar  offences. 


CHAPTEE  V 

The  Lease  of  the  Market-Rouse  Lots — The  First  Serious  Fire — 
Fredericksburg  an  Important  Center — An  Act  Concerning 
Elections — Half  of  the  Town  Destroyed  by  Fire — Fredericks- 
burg an  Important  Postal  Point — How  the  Mails  were  Carried 
— A  Congressional  Investigation — Amendatory  Act  of  1821 — 
The  Great  Fire  of  1822— The  Trade  of  the  Town— Conta- 
gious Diseases — The  Town  in  1841 — Acts  of  Extension,  1851, 
1852,  1858,  1861,  &c. 

In  the  year  1789  an  enactment  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  em- 
powering the  Mayor  and  Commonalty  of  the  town  of  Fredericks- 
burg to  lease  for  three  lives,  or  twenty-one  years,  such  unimproved 
parts  of  the  market-house  lots  as  to  them  shall  seem  most  proper, 
and  apply  the  rents  arising  therefrom  for  the  benefit  of  the  cor- 
poration. In  the  same  year  an  act  was  passed  authorizing  the 
Trustees  of  the  Fredericksburg  Academy  to  raise,  by  way  of  lottery, 
the  sum  of  four  thousand  pounds  to  defray  the  expenses  of  erecting 
a  building  on  the  academy  lands  for  the  purpose  of  accommodating 
the  professors  and  the  rapidly  increasing  number  of  students.  "We 
could  not  learn  the  result  of  this  latter  scheme. 

THE  FIRST  SERIOUS  FIRE. 

In  1799  the  first  serious  fire  the  town  ever  had  occurred.  It 
took  place  in  the  night  time  and  quite  a  number  of  houses  were  de- 
stroyed. By  many  persons  it  was  supposed  to  have  been  the  work 
of  an  incendiary,  but  others  believed  that  it  was  caused  by  a 
"wooden  chimney  or  a  stove  pipe,  run  through  a  window  or  through 
the  side  of  a  wooden  house,  without  being  properly  protected."  The 
Council  decided  to  meet  both  views,  and  offered  five  hundred  dollars 
for  the  arrest  and  conviction  of  the  incendiary,  and  issued  an  em- 
phatic condemnation  against  wooden  chimneys  and  stove  pipes 
projecting  through  windows  or  the  sides  of  houses  without  having 
them  "fire  proof."     This  nuisance  was  thereby  abated. 

[57] 


58  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

FREDERICKSBURG  AN  IMPORTANT  CENTER. 

As  early  as  1796  Fredericksburg  was  an  important  commercial 
center,  and  manufactories  of  various  kinds  were  in  operation. 
Iron  works  and  mills  and  other  industries  were  successfully  prose- 
cuted, and  the  trade  of  the  town,  in  the  general  merchandise 
department,  was  in  the  hands  of  public-spirited,  energetic  mer- 
chants ;  and  it  would  no  doubt  surprise  the  merchants  of  the  pres- 
ent day  to  read  the  advertisements  and  note  the  extent  and  variety 
of  stocks  of  goods  kept  here  at  that  period.  The  growth  and 
development  of  the  trade  was  gradual  and  decided  in  all  depart- 
ments, the  leading  article  being  tobacco,  which  up  to  and  during  the 
War  of  1812  and  1814,  was  increased  heavily  and  necessitated  the 
employment  of  vessels  of  great  tonnage  to  carry  it.  And,  though 
strange  as  it  may  appear  to  our  present  population,  in  those  days  of 
prosperity  in  manufactories,  farms  and  workshops,  and  when  nearly 
all  merchandise  and  supplies  reached  our  town  in  said  vessels,  large 
three-masted  ships  were  moored  at  our  wharves;  and,  until  large 
cities  sprang  up  along  the  coast,  that  diverted  trade  by  reason  of 
railroad  transportation,  our  leading  merchants  carried  on  a  direct 
trade  with  the  West  India  Islands,  as  well  as  with  many  of  the 
European  countries.  Our  wharves  then  were  a  scene  of  busy 
activity  and  the  river  was  crowded  with  vessels  from  all  quarters  of 
the  country. 

AN    ACT    CONCERNING    ELECTIONS. 

In  1806  an  act  of  the  Legislature  was  passed  providing  that  on 
the  next  annual  election  day  for  members  of  the  "Common  Hall 
of  the  Town,"  which  term  was  used  to  denote  the  Common  Council, 
a  Mayor  and  Recorder  and  eight  persons  should  be  elected  by  ballot 
to  act  as  Justices  of  the  Peace  for  the  town,  who  should  "continue 
in  office  during  good  behavior."  Three  of  these  justices  were  em- 
powered to  hold  a  hustings  court,  except  in  cases  of  the  examina- 
tion or  trial  of  free  persons  or  slaves  charged  with  felonies,  in  which 
case  five  of  the  eight  justices  were  necessary  to  constitute  the  court. 
This  court  had  the  same  power  and  jurisdiction  that  the  hustings 
court  had  under  the  act  of  1781,  but  the  members  were  ineligible 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  59 

for  the  Common  Council  and  they  had  no  power  to  lay  a  tax  for  the 
support  of  a  night  watch. 

At  this  election  the  voters  were  also  to  elect  by  ballot  twelve  per- 
sons as  members  of  the  Common  Council  of  the  town,  who  were  to 
continue  in  office  for  one  year  and  until  their  successors  should  be 
elected  and  qualified.  The  powers  of  the  Common  Council  should 
be  the  same  as  had  been  previously  conferred  upon  the  Mayor,  Re- 
corder, Aldermen  and  Common  Council  of  the  town  "in  Common 
Hall  assembled."  The  Common  Council,  at  their  first  meeting, 
were  to  elect  one  of  their  number  to  the  office  of  Mayor  and  another 
to  the  office  of  Eecorder.  It  was  the  duty  of  the  Mayor  to  preside 
over  the  deliberations  of  the  body,  and,  in  his  absence,  the  Eecorder 
was  to  discharge  that  duty.  The  Mayor,  or  in  his  absence,  the 
Eecorder,  or  any  two  members  of  the  Council,  could  call  a  meeting 
of  the  body,  but  it  required  seven  members  present  to  constitute  a 
quorum.  After  the  Council  assembled  in  the  first  meeting  after  the 
election  of  the  members,  and  elected  the  proper  officers,  the  body 
then  consisting  of  the  Mayor,  Eecorder  and  the  other  ten  members 
elected  as  common  councilmen,  constituted  the  "Common  Hall" 
of  the  town,  and  all  ordinances  were  adopted  by  that  body. 

HALF   OF  THE  TOWN  DESTROYED   BY   FIRE. 

In  the  year  1807  Fredericksburg  was  visited  by  a  terrible  con- 
flagration which  destroyed  nearly  one-half  of  the  town.  It  was  in 
October  of  that  year,  when  the  town  was  almost  depopulated,  the 
citizens,  old  and  young,  having  left  their  homes  to  attend  and  wit- 
ness the  horse  racing  just  below  town,  on  "Willis's  Field"  farm. 
The  fire  broke  out  in  the  dwelling  house  of  Mr.  Stannard,  which 
was  locate^  on  the  lot  where  the  residence  of  Mr.  George  W.  Shep- 
herd now  stands,  on  the  north  corner  of  Princess  Ann  and  Lewis 
streets.  A  high  wind  prevailed  at  the  time,  the  house  was  inflam- 
mable, the  weather  very  dry,  and  in  a  short  time  the  fire  swept  down 
Main  street,  the  flames  leaping  from  house  to  house  to  Henderson's 
store,  on  the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Amelia  streets ;  thence  down 
both  sides  of  Main  to  George  street,  destroying  every  building  in 
its  track  except  Henderson's  corner,  which  alone  escaped  destruc- 


60  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

tion.  The  Bank  of  Virginia,  which  stood  on  the  spot  where  Shilob 
Baptist  church  (old  site)  now  stands,  on  Water  street,  although 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  where  the  fire  originated,  was 
the  second  house  to  take  fire  and  was  entirely  consumed.  Mr.  Stan- 
nard,  at  whose  residence  the  fire  started,  was  lying  a  corpse  in  the 
house  at  the  time  of  the  fire,  and  his  remains  were  rescued  from  the 
flames  with  great  difficulty. 

Preparations  to  rebuild  the  burnt  district  were  at  once  com- 
menced, and  buildings  of  a  more  substantial  character  took  the 
places  of  those  destroyed  and  prosperity  again  smiled  upon  the 
town.  Yet  strange  to  say  the  square  on  the  west  side  of  Main 
street,  from  Lewis  to  Amelia,  then  in  the  business  part  of  the  town, 
and  now  in  the  residential  part,  although  before  the  fire  was  lined 
with  buildings,  was  without  a  building  until  some  five  years  ago. 
A  tool  chest,  saved  from  destruction  in  this  fire,  by  the  debris  of 
the  building  falling  upon  it  and  covering  it  up,  and  which  escaped 
the  destruction  wrought  in  town  by  the  Federal  soldiers  in  Decem- 
ber, 1862,  is  now  in  the  possession  of  Police  Officer  Charles  A.  Gore. 
It  was  the  property  of  his  grandfather,  Jacob  Gore,  who  had  been 
working  at  Mr.  Stannard's  a  few  days  before  the  fire  occurred  and 
left  it  there  temporarily. 

FREDERICKSBURG  AN  IMPORTANT  POSTAL  POINT. 

Fredericksburg,  as  early  as  1820,  was  a  very  important  point  for 
mail  distribution,  and  the  mail  matter  of  not  less  than  five  States 
was  assorted  here  and  sent  on  to  its  destination.  About  the  break- 
ing out  of  the  War  of  1812  mail  matter  to  Fredericksburg  rapidly 
increased,  and  continued  to  increase,  for  several  years,  which  neces- 
sitated a  change  in  the  method  of  transporting  the  mails  from 
Washington,  an  increase  of  pay,  and  finally  scandalous  reports  were 
put  in  circulation  which  resulted  in  a  congressional  investigation. 

A  paper  on  this  investigation,  prepared  by  Henry  Castle,  Esq . 
Auditor,  from  the  records  in  the  Postoffice  department,  and  kindly 
furnished  us,  will  prove  interesting. 

"The  year  1820  had  arrived;  James  Monroe  was  President  and 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  61 

Eeturn  J.  Meiggs,  Jr.,  of  Ohio,  was  Postmaster  General.  There 
were  then  over  three  thousand  post  offices,  and  the  revenues  had 
increased  to  $1,000,000  per  annum,  a  sum  considerable  in  excess 
of  the  expenditures,  a  feature  which  seldom  characterized  the  ser- 
vice after  that  date.  It  appears  from  the  records  that  vague 
rumors  of  certain  irregularities  had  been  afloat  throughout  the  coun- 
try and  in  the  'public  prints'  for  some  time,  and  that  they  finally 
assumed  such  a  tangible  shape  that  a  resolution  was  introduced  into 
the  United  States  Congress  providing  for  an  investigation  of  the 
charges. 

"A  committee  of  the  House  of  Eepresentatives,  of  which  Hon. 
Elisha  Phelps  was  chairman,  proceeded  in  accordance  with  instruc- 
tions of  the  House,  in  due  form  and  great  deliberation,  to  investi- 
gate the  general  conduct  of  the  office  under  Postmaster  General 
Meiggs,  and  especially  the  features  which  had  been  subjected  to 
more  immediate  criticism.  Mr.  Meiggs's  service,  as  Postmaster 
General,  extended  from  March  l?th  1814,  to  June  26th  1823,  a 
period  of  more  than  nine  years.  The  gravest  of  the  charges  made 
against  his  administration  were  substantially  as  follows : 

"First.  That  he  had  introduced  an  irregular  financial  system 
which  had  led  to  serious  losses  of  the  public  funds. 

"Second.  That  he  had  illegally  and  improperly  increased  the 
compensation  of  certain  contractors  for  carrying  the  mail. 

"With  slow  formality  and  tedious  reiteration  of  assurances  of  dis- 
tinguished consideration,  the  solemn  committee  of  the  Honorable 
House  of  Eepresentatives,  and  the  Honorable  Postmaster  General, 
finally  reached  a  point  where  questions  were  asked  and  answered 
and  a  tolerably  clear  understanding  of  what  had  really  occurred 
may  be  gained.  The  statement  of  the  Postmaster  General,  divested 
of  all  its  superfluities  and  reduced  to  its  simplest  form,  showed  no 
dereliction  in  either  case,  but  read  at  this  late  day  gives  an  almost 
ludicrous  insight  into  the  diminutive  transactions  which  then  suf- 
ficed for  this  great,  free  and  intelligent  Eepublic. 

"Postmaster  General  Meiggs's  answer  to  the  second  charge  was 
perhaps  even  more  interestingly  significant  as  a  revelation  of  the  day 
of  small  things.     He  admitted  that  he  had  increased  the  compen- 


62  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

sation  of  contractors  for  carrying  the  mails,  but  justified  his  action 
on  the  ground  of  an  imperious  necessity. 

"The  case  as  he  explained  it  was  this :  His  predecessor  in  office 
had  about  the  year  1813,  let  a  contract  to  certain  parties  for  trans- 
porting mail  from  the  Seat  of  Government  at  Washington  to  Fred- 
ericksburg, Virginia,  a  distance  of  seventy  miles.  This  great  mail 
route,  which  would  now  be  termed  a  trunk  line,  carried  substan- 
tially the  mail  for  the  five  States  of  Virginia,  Tennessee,  North 
Carolina,  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  The  contract  provided  that 
these  mails  should  be  carried  by  stage  coach  in  summer  and,  as  the 
roads  were  impassable  in  winter,  they  were  to  be  carried  on  horse- 
back. 

"But,"  says  the  Postmaster  General,  "by  the  increased  popular 
interest  in  the  war  of  1812,  correspondence  was  greatly  stimulated 
and  the  circulation  of  the  public  journals  was  enormously  increased. 
Consequently,  it  was  found  impracticable  to  transport  all  this  heavy 
mail  for  five  States,  on  horseback  from  Washington  to  Fredericks- 
burg; therefore  contractors  were  authorized  to  place  a  sulky,  or 
curricle  service  thereon  and  the  remuneration  was  increased  accord- 
ingly- 

"This  explanation  was  apparently  satisfactory  to  the  Honorable 
Committee  as  it  certainly  appears  very  reasonable  on  its  face,  and 
will  appeal  to  man's  inherent  sense  of  justice,  even  in  this  exacting 
era.  The  final  action  of  Congress  is  not  contained  in  the  records, 
"but  it  was  no  doubt  exculpatory  since,  as  shown  above,  Postmaster 
General  Meiggs,  continued  to  discharge  the  duties  in  his  high 
office  for  several  years  thereafter." 

AMENDATORY  ACT  OF   1821. 

Under  the  previous  acts  of  the  Legislature,  extending  the  limits 
of  the  town  and  providing  for  laying  out  streets,  and  the  amend- 
ments thereto,  it  was  claimed  that  mistakes  had  occurred  and  ir- 
regularities had  resulted  therefrom.  In  order  to  correct  these  mis- 
takes, and  provide  for  the  better  government  of  the  town,  an 
amendatory  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  in  the  year  1821. 
In  that  act  the  Common  Council  was  authorized  and  empowered  to 


The  St.  George's  Episcopal  Church. 
(See  page  203) 


TVif>  Prpshvtprinn  Mpmnrial    C!hanpl 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  63 

elect  the  Mayor  from  their  own  number  or  from  the  body  of  the 
citizens,  and  in  case  he  was  elected  from  the  Council,  thus  creating 
a  vacancy  in  that  body,  it  was  to  be  filled  by  the  Council.  Under 
this  act  the  Mayor  was  eligible  to  reelection  from  year  to  year  as 
long  as  the  Council  was  pleased  to  elect  him,  was  made  custodian  of 
the  corporation  seal,  and  was  to  keep  an  office  in  the  town  where  he 
should  transact  the  public  business,  and  where  the  citizens  could 
call  upon  him  and  present  any  grievance  or  complaint  they  might 
have  to  make. 

When  the  hustings  court  was  not  in  session  the  Mayor  was  to 
act  as  a  Justice  of  the  Peace  and  superintend  and  control  the  police 
and  night  watch.  He  was  to  qualify  in  ten  days  after  his  election, 
and  was  to  preside  at  the  sittings  of  the  hustings  court ;  and  in  his 
absence  the  Eecorder,  upon  whom  all  the  powers  and  authority  of 
the  Mayor  were  conferred,  was  authorized  to  perform  his  duties. 
The  Common  Council  had  to  regulate  and  fix  the  salary  of  the 
Mayor,  which  could  not  be  increased  or  diminished  during  his  term 
of  office.  The  same  act  extended  the  jurisdiction  of  the  hustings 
court  to  high  water  mark  on  the  Stafford  side  of  the  Eappahannock 
river,  and  exempted  the  citizens  of  the  town  from  the  assessment 
and  payment  of  all  taxes  and  levies  to  Spotsylvania  county,  to 
which  they  were  subject  under  the  former  laws. 

By  the  provisions  of  the  act  of  1821  the  Common  Council  was 
authorized  to  assess  and  levy  a  tax  on  the  inhabitants  of,  and  prop- 
erty within,  the  town  for  the  purpose  of  repairing  and  keeping  in 
order  the  streets  and  alleys  and  for  other  purposes  and  charges  as 
to  them  might  seem  right  and  proper,  and  for  the  improvement, 
convenience  and  well  being  of  the  town.  They  were  authorized 
to  provide  a  night  watch  for  the  protection  of  the  town  and  for  the 
"better  execution  of  this  duty  the  power  and  authority,  now  exer- 
cised by  field  officers  of  the  militia  concerning  patrols,  shall  here- 
after be  vested  in  and  exercised  by  the  said  Mayor,  Eecorder  and 
Common  Council  over  the  militia  of  the  said  town,"  and  the  militia 
of  the  town  were,  by  the  same  act,  exempted  from  patrol  duty  be- 
yond the  city  limits. 

In  order  to  correct  defects  in  laying  out  streets  under  the  former 


64  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

acts,  by  this  act  a  Commission,  consisting  of  John  W.  Green,  John 
Mundell,  George  Cox,  Silas  Wood  and  David  Briggs,  was  appointed 
to  survey  and  locate  the  streets  of  the  town  according  to  existing 
laws  and  authentic  ancient  surveys.  This  Commission  was  to  lo- 
cate the  streets  by  metes  and  bounds,  making  such  alterations  as  its 
members  might  think  expedient,  with  the  consent  of  the  proprietors 
of  lots  effected  by  such  alterations,  but  not  otherwise.  It  was  also 
required  to  mark  the  boundaries  of  the  streets  by  stones  or  otherwise, 
which  were  to  be  designated  on  the  map  of  the  town  made  by  it. 
These  Commissioners  were  to  report  their  plan,  with  explanatory 
notes,  to  the  Common  Council,  and  if  approved  by  that  body  it 
was  to  be  taken  as  the  authentic  plan  of  the  town. 

But  in  making  this  survey  of  the  streets  it  was  especially  provided 
that  if  a  house  should  be  found,  in  whole  or  in  part,  in  the  street, 
it  was  not  to  be  considered  a  nuisance  or  an  illegal  obstruction  of 
the  street,  but  if  such  building  should  perish,  or  in  any  manner  be 
destroyed,  it  was  not  to  be  rebuilt  so  as  to  encroach  upon  or  obstruct 
the  street. 

THE  GREAT  FIRE  OF  1822. 

After  the  great  conflagration  of  1807,  a  regular  and  decided  in- 
crease in  population  is  noted  with  a  marked  improvement  in  local 
trade.  So  things  progressed  with  no  unusual  or  startling  calami- 
ties to  disturb  the  usual  serenity  of  a  prosperous  town — not  bust- 
ling, but  active — until  the  year  1822,  when  the  quiet  was  disturbed 
by  another  serious  conflagration.  It  was  not  as  disastrous  as  its 
predecessor  was,  but  it  was  of  such  a  character  as  to  cause  great 
loss  of  property,  and  to  retard,  to  a  very  great  extent,  the  general 
prosperity  of  the  town.  This  fire  originated  at  the  corner  of  Main 
and  George  streets,  where  Mr.  Thomas  N.  Brent's  dry  goods  store 
now  stands,  and,  curious  enough,  just  where  the  great  fire  of  1807 
was  checked.  It  was  then  known  as  Wellford's  corner,  because 
Mr.  C.  C.  "Wellford,  for  a  great  many  years,  kept  store  there.  From 
that  corner  the  fire  made  its  way  down  Main  street  totally  destroy- 
ing every  building  on  that  side  of  the  street  from  there  to  Hanover 
street,  which  square  was  then  known  as  the  "Commercial  Block," 
because  of  the  large  trade  carried  on  there. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  65 

With  the  energy  and  enterprise  so  characteristic  of  the  citizens 
of  the  town  at  that  day,  steps  were  at  once  taken  to  rebuild  the 
burnt  district.  Soon  the  street  was  almost  blocked  up  with  build- 
ing material,  laborers  were  busily  at  work,  clearing  away  the  debris 
and  preparing  the  foundations  for  the  new  buildings.  Carpenters 
and  brick  masons  were  in  great  demand  and  large  numbers  nocked 
to  the  town  from  neighboring  cities  and  villages.  That  part  of 
the  town  was  soon  a  busy  scene  and  the  music  of  the  hammer,  the 
saw  and  the  trowel  greeted  the  ear  from  early  morning  until  late  in 
the  afternoon.  And  there  were  soon  erected,  with  an  occasional 
exception,  the  substantial  block  of  brick  buildings  which  now  stand 
as  monuments  to  the  good  judgment  and  excellent  workmanship  of 
that  early  day.  The  work  of  rebuilding  was  speedy  and  complete, 
and  the  character  of  the  new  buildings  was  an  improvement  upon 
the  old  ones  they  replaced.  With  the  rebuilding  of  that  portion 
of  the  town,  and  the  resumption  of  business  by  the  burnt-out  mer- 
chants, came  an  unusual  degree  of  prosperity,  and  for  a  long  period 
the  general  peace  and  happiness  of  the  people  were  undisturbed. 

THE  TRADE  OF  THE  TOWN". 

At  this  time  the  trade  of  the  town  was  chiefly  of  a  local  character, 
except  the  products  of  the  country  extending  even  beyond  the  Blue 
Bidge  mountains,  as  from  the  early  years  of  the  town,  were  brought 
to  market  in  wagons,  and  it  was  no  uncommon  sight  to  see  daily 
as  many  as  fifty  or  sixty  four  and  six-horse  teams  here  at  one  time 
from  that  part  of  the  country.  The  merchants  were  men  of  exalted 
character  and  fine  business  capacity,  and  the  amount  of  business 
transacted  was,  considering  the  times  and  circumstances,  simply 
enormous. 

CONTAGIOUS    DISEASES. 

To  the  credit  of  the  authorities  of  the  town  it  can  be  truthfully 
said  that,  in  all  the  past,  they  have  been  very  watchful  of  and  solici- 
tous for  the  health  of  the  people.  At  all  times,  upon  reports,  or 
even  rumors,  that  contagious  or  infectious  diseases  were  prevailing 
in  contiguous  communities,  they  were  on  the  alert,  taking  every 
precaution  to  prevent  their  introduction  here,  and  it  may  be  said  to 
5 


66  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

their  credit  that  such  strict  observance  and  enforcement  of  the  laws 
of  health,  and  temporary  quarantines  at  the  proper  time,  have  pre- 
vented all  kinds  of  epidemics  in  the  past  history  of  the  town. 

Before  the  first  of  the  nineteenth  century,  in  1790,  the  people  of 
the  town  were  very  much  excited  about  the  small  pox.  It  was  rag- 
ing in  Philadelphia  as  an  epidemic,  and  the  large  trade  carried  on 
between  the  two  places,  altogether  by  water,  made  it  necessary  that 
numerous  vessels  should  bear  the  merchandise.  In  order  to  prevent 
the  small  pox  from  reaching  this  place  a  strict  quarantine  was  estab- 
lished at  the  mouth  of  Hazel  Run,  just  below  town,  and  a  hospital 
was  located  at  Sligo.  Dr.  Brooke  and  Dr.  Ker,  two  skillful  phys- 
cians  of  the  town,  agreed  to  attend  the  sick  at  the  hospital  without 
charge,  whether  sailors  or  citizens.  The  wise  precaution  taken  in 
establishing  the  quarantine  prevented  any  case  from  reaching  the 
town,  to  the  great  relief  of  the  citizens  generally.  In  1792  the 
same  disease  broke  out  in  Baltimore  and  a  quarantine  was  again 
established  at  Hazel  Run  and  a  hospital  at  Sligo.  The  citizens 
were  greatly  alarmed,  fearing  its  introduction  here  either  by  land 
or  water.  The  greatest  precautions  were  taken  by  the  health  offi- 
cers, who  were  nobly  assisted  by  the  town  authorities,  and  the 
disease  was  kept  out  as  it  had  been  two  years  before,  not  a  single 
case  having  made  its  appearance  in  the  place. 

In  1833,  it  is  said  by  old  citizens,  a  remarkable  case  of  either 
fright  or  disease  occurred  in  Fredericksburg,  which  proved  fatal. 
In  that  year  several  parts  of  the  United  States  were  visited  and 
scourged  by  the  Asiatic  cholera.  The  country  generally  was  in 
great  terror,  and  Fredericksburg  came  in  for  her  share  of  excite- 
ment. In  fact,  she  may  have  been  more  alarmed  than  other  places 
which  were  as  far  removed  from  the  seat  of  the  scourge,  because  of 
a  prediction  that  had  previously  been  made,  and  which  made  its 
impression  on  many  people.  Rev.  Lorenzo  Dow,  an  able,  but 
eccentric,  itinerant  Methodist  minister,  when  on  a  visit  to  the 
town  the  year  previous  to  the  scourge,  it  was  reported  had  pre- 
dicted the  appearance  of  cholera  in  Fredericksburg.  Some  people 
believed  the  disease  would  come  because  Mr.  Dow  had  predicted  it, 
and  the  excitement  ran  high,  especially  among  those  who  believed 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  67 

the  prophecy.  A  Mr.  Shelton  became  dreadfully  alarmed  and 
whether  from  fright  or  from  actually  contracting  the  disease,  died 
in  the  month  of  June  and  the  cause  of  his  death  was  pronounced 
sporadic  or  accidental  cholera.  His  was  the  only  case  then,  and 
to  this  day  there  has  been  no  other,  Fredericksburg  having  enjoyed 
singular  and  perfect  immunity  from  epidemics  of  all  kinds. 

THE  TOWN  IN  THE  YEAK  1841. 

In  describing  the  town  in  1841,  an  intelligent  visitor  says 
"Fredericksburg  is  regularly  laid  out  and  compactly  built;  many 
of  its  buildings  are  brick.  The  principal  public  buildings  are  a 
courthouse,  clerk's  office,  a  jail,  a  market-house,  an  orphan  asylum, 
one  Episcopal,  one  Presbyterian,  one  Methodist,  one  Baptist  and 
one  Reform  Baptist  church.  The  town  also  contains  two  banks 
and  one  male  and  one  female  seminary  of  the  higher  class.  It  is 
supplied  with  water  from  the  river*  by  subterraneous  pipes  and  is 
governed  by  a  Mayor  and  Common  Council.  A  canal,  extending 
from  the  town  to  Fox's  mill,  a  point  on  the  Eappahannock,  thirty- 
five  miles  above,  has  been  commenced  and  partly  completed. 

"Fredericksburg  enjoys  considerable  trade,  chiefly  in  grain, 
flour,  tobacco,  maize,  etc.,  and  considerable  quantities  of  gold  are 
exported.  Its  exports  have  been  computed  at  over  four  millions  of 
dollars  annually.  The  falls  of  the  Eappahannock,  in  the  vicinity, 
afford  good  water  power.  There  were  in  1840,  by  the  United  States 
statistics,  seventy-three  stores,  with  a  capital  of  $376,961;  two 
tanneries,  paints,  drugs,  etc.,  with  a  capital  of  $37,000;  one  grist 
mill,  two  printing  offices,  four  semi-weekly  newspapers;  capital  in 
manufactures,  $141,200;  five  academies,  with  256  students,  and 
seven  schools,  with  156  scholars.  The  population  in  1830,  whites, 
1,797;  slaves,  1,124;  free  blacks,  387— total,  3,308.  The  popula- 
tion in  1840  was  3,974." 

But  the  commercial  prosperity  of  the  town  even  in  1840  was  not 
equal  to  its  advantages,  but  it  steadily  grew  and  prospered  during 
the  next  decade.  The  completion  of  a  canal,  extending  from  the 
town  to  a  point  on  the  Rappahannock  river,  a  distance  of  forty 

•  The  water  came  from  two  springs — Poplar  spring  and  Smith's  spring. 


68  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

miles,  railroad  facilities  and  river  navigation  by  sail  vessels  and 
steamboats,  greatly  enlarged  her  commercial  advantages  and  in- 
creased her  export  trade,  and  the  beginning  of  the  year  1850  found 
her  enjoying  a  degree  of  material  prosperity,  presaging  a  glorious 
commercial  future.  Commencing  the  year  1850  under  circum- 
stances so  encouraging,  the  next  decade  was  expected  to  exceed  in 
all  departments  of  trade  the  preceding  one. 

The  failure  to  build  a  railroad  through  the  section  of  country 
from  which  the  bulk  of  our  trade  was  drawn,  and  the  substitution 
therefor  of  a  plank  road,  with  the  building  of  the  Orange  and  Alex- 
andria railroad,  now  the  Western,  and  the  advance  of  the  Balti- 
more and  Ohio  railroad  along  the  upper  line  of  the  Shenandoah 
Valley,  greatly  injured  the  trade  of  Fredericksburg  by  diverting 
from  her  a  large  amount  of  produce,  which  was  formerly  brought 
to  town  in  wagons,  and  while  in  1860  the  population  had  somewhat 
increased,  the  general  trade  of  the  town  was  diminished. 

THE  CORPORATE  LIMITS  EXTENDED. 

In  the  year  1851  the  Legislature  passed  a  bill  extending  the 
limits  of  the  town,  in  accordance  with  a  plan  made  by  Commission- 
ers appointed  by  the  Common  Council.  That  extension  embraced 
the  territory  we  now  have  within  the  corporate  limits  except  a  por- 
tion of  the  Water  Power  Company,  the  survey  having  been  made 
by  Mr.  William  Slaughter,  City  Surveyor,  in  1850,  and  reported  to 
the  Council  by  Joseph  Sanford,  John  Minor  and  John  Pritchard, 
who  were  appointed  a  committee  by  the  Council  to  "enquire  into 
the  expediency  of  extending  the  limits  of  the  said  town."  After 
making  a  thorough  examination,  this  committee  reported  back  to 
the  body  that  it  was  both  expedient  and  desirable  that  the  extension 
should  be  made,  which  report  and  recommendation  were  adopted. 
To  carry  out  this  action,  the  Council  appointed  Hugh  S.  Scott,  Wm. 
S.  Barton,  John  James  Chew,  Joseph  Sanford  and  John  Pritchard, 
and  they  were  instructed  and  empowered  as  a  Commission,  under 
the  provisions  of  the  act  of  the  Legislature,  to  locate  and  lay  out 
such  streets  in  the  part  of  the  town  annexed  by  the  provisions  of  the 
bill,  as  they  might  think  proper,  and  report  back  to  the  Council, 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  69 

with  a  full  plan  of  their  work.  But  it  was  provided  that  none  of 
the  new  streets  reported  upon  were  to  be  opened  unless  the  Council 
should  decide  it  necessary,  and  in  that  event,  if  the  owners  of  the 
lots  did  not  relinquish  their  claims  to  the  town,  damages  were  to 
be  paid  by  the  Council  in  such  sums  as  should  be  ascertained  by. 
three  disinterested  freeholders  of  Spotsylvania  county,  who  should 
be  appointed  by  the  county  court  of  said  county  for  that  purpose. 
The  Commission  performed  the  duties  assigned  them  by  the  Coun- 
cil, and  laid  out  the  new  portion  of  the  town  into  streets,  giving  a 
name  to  each,  but  many  of  them  were  never  opened,  as  they  were 
not  needed,  and  remain  closed  to  this  day. 

The  same  act  made  it  unnecessary  for  either  the  Mayor  or  Ee- 
corder  of  the  town  to  be  present  and  preside  over  the  hustings  court, 
but  made  it  lawful  for  any  three  Justices  of  the  Corporation  to 
hold  the  court,  except,  as  in  the  former  act,  where  parties  were  to 
be  examined  or  tried  for  felonies  it  required  that  five  Justices 
should  be  present  and  preside.  In  consequence  of  this  provision 
the  court  would  convene  with  five  Justices  when  felony  cases  were 
to  be  considered,  and  after  they  were  disposed  of,  two  of  them 
would  be  excused  and  the  other  three  would  continue  the  session 
until  the  business  of  the  court  was  completed.  These  Justices  were 
appointed  by  the  Governor,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  hustings 
court,  and  were  among  the  best  citizens  and  most  successful  busi- 
ness men  of  the  town,  and  what  they  lacked  in  a  knowledge  of  the 
law,  it  is  generally  agreed  they  more  than  made  up  in  good  common 
sense  and  unyielding  integrity. 

In  the  following  year,  1852,  the  Legislature  passed  another 
amendment  to  the  charter  of  the  town,  extending  its  limits,  but 
this  amendment  was  only  made  necessary  to  correct  an  error  in  the 
section  of  the  act  of  the  year  before,  extending  the  corporate 
limits.  The  metes  and  bounds  were  left  the  same  as  prescribed  in 
the  act  of  1851. 

In  1858  an  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  enabling  the  Coun- 
cil to  sell  real  estate  for  delinquent  taxes  due  the  town.  It 
authorized  the  authorities  to  sell  all  real  estate  within  the  corpora- 
tion returned  delinquent  for  the  non-payment  of  taxes  and  interest, 


70  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

and  to  make  such  regulations  for  affecting  the  sale  and  collecting 
the  taxes  as  they  might  deem  expedient.  In  case  the  sale  was  not 
made  and  the  taxes  remained  unpaid,  the  taxes  became  a  lien  on 
the  property  and  ten  per  centum  was  charged  thereon  until  they 
were  paid.  The  act  also  provided  that  if  the  taxes  due  on  real  estate 
were  paid  by  the  tenant,  who  was  not  the  owner  of  the  property, 
the  amount  might  be  deducted  from  the  rents  of  the  same  in  settle- 
ment with  the  owner.  In  cases  where  the  property  was  owned  by 
non-residents,  and  was  vacant  or  unimproved,  and  no  levy  could 
be  made  to  satisfy  the  taxes,  the  town  was  authorized  to  take  sum- 
mary proceedings  before  any  court  in  the  State,  on  ten  days' 
notice  to  the  parties  owning  the  delinquent  property. 

In  1861  another  act  was  passed  by  the  Legislature,  extending  the 
corporate  limits  of  the  town.  This  was  done  in  order  to  bring 
certain  property  within  the  limits  of  the  town  for  the  purpose  of 
city  taxation,  according  to  a  previous  agreement  with  the  owners  of 
the  Fredericksburg  Water  Power.  That  agreement  was  that  all 
mills  and  manufactories,  using  the  water  of  that  company  for 
power,  erected  after  the  completion  of  the  canal,  should  be  liable 
for,  and  should' pay,  city  taxes.  The  extension  by  this  act  is  de- 
scribed as  follows : 

"Beginning  at  a  point  Sixty-seven  feet  North  64£  degrees  east 
from  the  northeast  cornerstone  of  the  present  boundary  of  said 
town;  and  running  thence  to  the  Eappahannock  river  twelve  hun- 
dred and  fifty  feet  to  a  stone;  thence  south  58£  degrees  west,  four 
hundred  and  sixty-six  feet  to  a  stone;  thence  south  13£  degrees 
west,  three  hundred  and  seventy  feet  to  a  stone;  thence  south  35^ 
degrees  east,  six  hundred  and  eight  feet  to  a  stone;  thence  south  38f| 
degrees,  two  hundred  and  eighty-five  feet  to  a  stone;  thence  south 
25£  degrees  east,  one  hundred  and  forty-four  feet  to  a  stone  in  a 
line  with  the  present  corporation  line;  thence  with^said  line  north 
64£  degrees  east  six  hundred  and  eighty  feet  to  the  point  of  begin- 
ning, and  particularly  set  out  and  described  in  a  survey  and  plat 
made  by  Carter  M.  Braxton,  dated  the  23rd  day  of  January,  1861, 
and  deposited  in  the  clerk's  office  of  the  corporation  court  of  said 
town!" 


CHAPTER  VI 

The  War  Clouds  Gathering — Fredericksburg  in  the  Confederacy — 
Troops  Raised  and  Equipped — The  Surrender  of  the  Town  to 
the  Federal  Authorities — Arrested  and  Held  as  Hostages — 
Citizens  Flee  from  their  Homes — The  Bombardment  of  the 
Town,  &c. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  Fredericksburg  had  been  growing 
for  so  many  years,  and  the  further  fact  that  she  had  enjoyed  the 
prosperity  which  is  claimed  for  her,  and  of  which  we  have  written, 
the  town  had  attained  at  this  time  only  to  the  moderate  propor- 
tions of  a  population  of  about  five  thousand  inhabitants.  But  it 
was  a  delightful  place,  nevertheless,  with  a  salubrious  climate,  good 
water,  charming  society,  picturesque  surroundings  and  cheapness  of 
living,  and  had  about  it  a  quiet  and  chastened  dignity  of  age  and 
respectability,  both  attractive  and  impressive.  Such  was  Fred- 
ericksburg when  the  storm-cloud  of  war  burst  upon  her  in  1861. 

FREDERICKSBURG  IN  THE  CONFEDERACY. 

We  shall  not  attempt  in  these  pages  to  fully  portray  the  scenes 
enacted  in  the  town,  or  narrate  the  part  played  by  Fredericksburg 
in  that  terrible  war.  A  true  portrayal  and  narration  of  them  is 
beyond  the  power  of  the  tongue  of  the  finished  orator,  the  pen  of 
the  most  gifted  writer  or  the  brush  of  the  most  skilled  artist.  No 
one  can  know  them  save  those  who  endured  them  and  were  a  part 
and  parcel  of  them,  and  even  they  are  unable  to  describe  them  with 
all  of  their  horrible,  bloody  and  destructive  realities.  It  would 
take  a  pen  almost  inspired  to  truthfully  describe  the  fiery  scenes, 
the  devastation,  the  trials,  the  privations,  the  sufferings  of  body  and 
mind  and  the  heroism  of  the  inhabitants,  who  were  then  in  town, 
in  the  terrible  ordeal  through  which  they  passed,  and  the  fortitude 
with  which  they  stood  the  test. 

A  great  change  was  now  about  to  take  place.  The  quiet  of  the 
staid  and  sober  town  was  about  to  be  broken  by  the  sound  of  the 
drum  and  the  tramp  of  armed  men.     The  activity  of  commerce  had 

[71  ] 


72  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

ceased,  a  spirit  of  patriotism  prevailed ;  and  this  patriotism  was  not 
demonstrative  only,  it  was  deep  and  real,  and  was  afterwards  sealed 
by  the  best  blood  of  the  town. 

TROOP8  RAISED  AND  EQUIPPED. 

There  was  never  any  doubt  as  to  the  part  the  citizens  of  Fred- 
ericksburg would  take  in  the  war.  It  is  true  the  town  was  always 
conservative  and  loyal  to  the  government;  it  had  sent  a  Union 
man  to  the  State  Convention,  which  was  to  consider  and  pass  upon 
the  question  of  union  or  disunion;  he  had  received  almost  a  two- 
thirds  vote  of  the  qualified  voters  of  the  town,  but  all  this  was  done 
with  a  strong  hope  that  the  political  differences  of  the  two  great 
sections  of  the  country — North  and  South — could  and  would  be 
settled  without 'a  separation.  When  it  was  ascertained  that  such  a 
settlement  could  not  be  had,  and  when  that  assurance  was  followed 
by  a  call  on  the  States  from  President  Lincoln  for  seventy-five  thous- 
and troops  to  coerce  the  seceded  Southern  States  back  into  the 
Union  and  that  Virginia  was  expected  to  furnish  her  quota  of  that 
number,  the  sentiment  of  the  entire  population  changed,  and  the 
most  ardent  Union  men,  with  few  exceptions,  became  strong  sym- 
pathizers of  the  Southern  movement  and  were  ready  to  take  up 
arms  in  defence  of  the  South.  The  Constitutional  Convention, 
that  up  to  that  time  was  supposed  to  be  against  the  adoption  of  the 
ordinance  of  secession,  rapidly  changed  front,  and  when  the  ordi- 
nance was  submitted  to  a  vote  it  was  passed  by  a  large  majority, 
the  delegate  from  Fredericksburg,  Hon.  John  L.  Marye,  Sr.,  voting 
for  its  adoption. 

The  two  volunteer  militia  companies,  which  had  been  in  exist- 
ence in  town  for  many  years,  became  the  nucleus  around  which 
was  formed  the  Thirtieth  Regiment  of  Virginia  Volunteers. 
This  regiment,  commanded  successively  by  Colonel  Milton  Cary, 
Colonel  Archibald  Harrison  and  Colonel  Robert  S.  Chew,  immedi- 
ately entered  upon  active  duty  and  performed  good  service  through- 
out the  war.  The  Fredericksburg  artillery,  under  Captain  Carter 
M.  Braxton,  was  organized  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  and  under 
its  gallant  commanders,  Captain  Carter  M.  Braxton,  Captain  Ed- 


Hon.  Montgomery  Slaughter, 

The  War  Mayor"  of  Fredericksburg. 

(See  pase  74) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  73 

ward  Marye  and  Captain  John  G.  Pollock,  greatly  distinguished 
itself. 

It  is  claimed  that  this  company  fired  the  first  shot  at  the  battle  of 
Fredericksburg  and  was  honored  with  a  like  distinction  at  Gettys- 
burg; and  yet  a  greater  honor  awaited  this  heroic  band  than  either 
of  these  or  the  two  combined,  which  each  member  and  his  descend- 
ants will  ever  cherish  with  pride.  Its  members  claim  to  have  fired 
the  last  gun  at  Appomattox  on  the  9th  of  April,  1865,  the  day  on 
which  General  Eobert  E.  Lee  surrendered  the  Army  of  Northern 
Virginia  to  General  U.  S.  Grant,  where  and  when  the  Star  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy  went  down,  never,  never  more  to  rise.  All 
honor  to  such  brave  and  heroic  men!  The  following  is  a  correct 
list  of  the  members  of  the  Fredericksburg  artillery  at  the  time  of 
the  surrender,  furnished  by  a  member  of  the  company,  most  of 
whom  are  now  living: 

Captain  John  G.  Pollock,  Lieutenant  A.  W.  Johnson,  Lieutenant 
Clinton  Southworth,  Sergeant  Henry  G.  Chesley,  Sergeant  L.  T. 
Bunnell,  Sergeant  James  Taylor,  Sergeant  Charles  B.  Fleet,  Gun- 
ner M.  C.  Hall,  Gunner  Samuel  H.  Thorburn,  Picket  Sergeant  J, 
L.  Marye,  Jr.,  H.  P.  Martin,  Quarter  Master  Sergeant;  Gunner 
J.  R.  Ferneyhough,  Gunner  P.  V.  D.  Conway,  Gunner  W.  F.  Gor- 
don, Gunner  R.  W.  McGuire,  Harrison  Southworth,  Guidon;  Pri- 
vates W.  A.  Anthony,  John  Scott  Berry,  John  J.  Berrey,  Wm.  E. 
Bradley,  J.  A.  Bowler,  Oscar  Berry,  James  E.  Berrey,  Wm.  Bowler, 
Robert  C.  Beale,  J.  H.  Butzner,  Henry  Berry,  C.  B.  Cason,  L. 
P.  Carter,  Walter  Carter,  W.  M.  Chewning,  J.  S.  Cannon,  W.  S. 
Chartters,  Jacob  Crowder,  G.  W.  Clarke,  J.  H.  Clarke,  S.  H.  Crock- 
ford,  A.  P.  Carneal,  Charles  Donahoe,  James  Donahoe,  W.  B.  Dick- 
inson, Elijah  E.  Fines,  R.  C.  Fitzhugh,  M.  A.  Ferneyhough,  Duff 
Green  (of  Brooke),  J.  T.  Goolrick,  R.  C.  Grymes,  J.  R.  Gouldman, 
Landon  Gallahan,  Henry  Gallahan,  John  M.  Garrett,  James  W. 
Hogans,  George  F.  Harrison,  George  M.  Harrison,  John  E.  Harri- 
son, Robert  Haislip,  Matthew  Hudson,  John  S.  Johnson,  W.  Stan- 
field  Jones,  J.  Chester  Jones,  C.  W.  Jenkins,  John  T.  Knight, 
David  Corbin  Ker,  Hubbard  M.  Long,  Charles  Lyell,  Alfred  J. 
Marye,  J.  W.  McWhirt,  J.  A.  Marye,  A.  Stewart  Marye,  J.  W. 


74  History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia 

Mitchell,  Frank  A.  Maddox,  Thomas  E.  Maddex,  Charles  W. 
Manley,  John  McKay,  W.  Nelson  Marye,  George  Oakes,  M.  B.  Pol- 
lock, George  B.  Pearson,  Joseph  S.  Payne,  Harvey  W.  Proctor,  An- 
thony Patton,  John  T.  Roberts,  Henry  Robinson,  W.  T.  Robinson, 
John  D.  Smith,*  R.  B.  Semple,  Warner  L.  Sisson,  Lawrence  San- 
ford,  Charles  H.  Scott,  John  Sullivan,  Peter  Sullivan,  H.  Cabell 
Tabb,  A.  Byrd  Waller,  H.  H.  Wallace,  Arthur  Wallace,  George 
Willis. 

Many  of  the  young  men  at  the  first  opportunity  entered  the 
various  branches  of  the  service — the  cavalry,  infantry,  navy,  ma- 
rine, and  other  positions  necessary  and  honorable — where  they 
served  their  country  well  and  faithfully,  and  in  many  cases  with 
distinguished  ability.  So  rapid  were  these  enlistments,  that  in  less 
than  twelve  months  the  town  was  almost  stripped  of  her  youths  and 
arms-bearing  men,  and  of  her  former  population — those  remaining 
at  home  were  the  older  men,  the  women  and  a  few  colored  people. 

THE  SURRENDER  OF  THE  TOWN  TO  THE  FEDERAL  AUTHORITIES. 

Gen.  McDowell's  Forces  Arrive. 

On  the  19th  of  April,  18G2,  the  town  first  fell  into  the  hands  of 
the  Federal  Army.  On  that  day  a  meeting  of  the  Common  Council 
was  held,  and  a  committee,  consisting  of  Mayor  Slaughter,  Wm. 
A.  Little,  Esq.,  Thomas  B.  Barton,  Esq.,  Dr.  J.  Gordon  Wallace, 
Rev.  William  F.  Broaddus,  D.  D.,  and  Gov.  John  L.  Marye,  Jr., 
three  members  on  the  part  of  the  Common  Council  and  three  repre- 
senting the  citizens,  was  appointed  to  confer  with  the  commanding 
officer  of  the  United  States  forces,  relative  to  the  surrender  of  the 
town.  They  were  instructed  to  inform  him  that  inasmuch  as  the 
forces  of  the  Confederate  States  had  evacuated  the  town  no  resis- 
tance would  be  made  to  its  occupation  by  the  United  States  troops, 
and  to  ask  such  protection  for  persons  and  property  as  was  consis- 
tent with  the  rules  of  civilized  warfare.  They  were  also  instructed 
to  inform  the  Commanding  General  "that  the  population  of  this 
town  have  been  in  the  past,  and  are  now,  in  conviction  and  senti- 


•  Died  at  Crystal  Springs,  Miss.,  March  1,  1900. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  75 

merit,  loyal  to  the  existing  government  of  the  State  of  Virginia  and 
Confederate  States."  This  was  an  honest  and  frank  statement, 
made  by  the  Common  Council  of  the  threatened  town  to  the  Com- 
manding General  of  the  invading  army,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt 
that  this  honest  acknowledgment  won  the  friendship  and  respect 
of  the  commandant  of  the  post  and  saved  much  property  from 
destruction  and  many  of  the  inhabitants  from  indignities  on  the 
part  of  the  garrison. 

The  United  States  forces  took  possession  of  the  Stafford  hills, 
which  commanded  the  town,  on  the  19th  day  of  April.  The  de- 
struction of  the  bridges  connecting  the  town  with  the  Stafford 
shore  delayed  the  actual  presence  of  the  troops  in  town  for  several 
days,  and  it  was  not  until  the  morning  of  the  27th  that  General 
Marsena  E.  Patrick  established  his  headquarters  and  took  provost 
command  of  the  town.  Unlike  many  of  the  subordinate  command- 
ers Gen.  Patrick  was  considered  a  generous  man  and  a  kind,  hu- 
mane officer,  and  many  of  the  citizens  who  were  at  their  homes,  while 
he  was  here  in  command,  unite  in  bearing  testimony,  that  under  his 
government  military  rule  in  Fredericksburg  was  kindly  exercised 
and  the  people  were  not  oppressed,  and  not  a  few  of  them  conceived 
a  sincere  respect  for  his  character,  and  to  this  day  his  acts  of  kind- 
ness and  thoughtful  consideration  are  gratefully  referred  to  by 
them. 

This  state  of  things  continued  until  after  the  disastrous  result 
to  General  George  B.  McClellan's  army  in  the  Seven  Days'  battles 
around  Eichmond.  After  those  engagements  General  McClellan 
was  superseded  in  the  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  by 
General  John  Pope.  General  Pope  was  from  the  "Western  Army, 
and  upon  taking  command  of  the  army  in  Virginia  issued  a  high- 
sounding,  pompous  order  in  which  he  belittled  the  valor  of  the 
Confederate  soldiers  of  the  west,  asserting  he  had  "only  seen  the 
backs  of  the  enemy,"  and  his  purpose  in  coming  to  this  army  was 
to  lead  it  to  victory  and  success.  In  that  order  he  declared  that 
he  did  not  want  to  hear  such  phrases  as  "taking  strong  positions 
and  holding  them,"  "lines  of  retreat"  and  "bases  of  supplies," 
which  he  was  told  was  common  in  the  armv.     He  declared  that  the 


76  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

glory  of  the  soldier  was  in  pushing  the  enemy  and  studying  the- 
lines  of  his  retreat,  which  he  then  proposed  to  do. 

He  announced  his  purpose  to  subsist  the  invading  army  by 
enforced  supplies  from  his  enemies,  and,  in  order  to  prepare  the 
worlcl  and  give  it  some  idea  of  his  rapid  movements  and  brilliant 
feats,  issued  orders  from  "headquarters  in  the  saddle."  This  unique 
order,  full  as  it  was  of  boastings  of  what  he  had  done  and  what 
he  proposed  to  do,  failed  to  frighten  the  Confederate  commanders, 
as  General  Pope,  no  doubt,  thought  it  would  do.  On  the  contrary, 
without  loss  of  time  they  concentrated  their  forces,  gave  him  battle 
and  the  Federal  commander  was  ingloriously  driven  from  the  field, 
with  great  loss  of  men,  arms  and  supplies.  And  so  in  less  than 
sixty  days  from  the  time  he  took  command  of  the  army  he  was 
relieved  by  General  McClellan,  whom  he  superseded,  having  lost 
every  engagement  fought  during  the  time.  His  advance  through 
the  counties  of  Fauquier  and  Culpeper  to  Fredericksburg,  when 
he  took  command  of  the  army,  caused  great  consternation  because 
of  his  unreasonable  and  cruel  exactions.  Many  private  citizens, 
who  had  never  entered  the  Confederate  service,  were  arrested  upon 
their  refusal  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United  States 
government,  and  were  ruthlessly  dragged  from  their  homes  and 
confined  in  Northern  prisons. 

GEN.   POPE  TAKES   POSSESSION  OF   THE  TOWN — HELD  AS   HOSTAGES. 

Finally  the  power  of  this  pompous  commander  reached  Fred- 
ericksburg, and  many  of  her  citizens  shared  the  fate  of  the  unfor- 
tunate citizens  of  Fauquier  and  Culpeper  counties.  By  General 
Pope's  order  nineteen  of  our  most  prominent  and  highly  esteemed 
citizens  were  arrested  and  sent  to  Washington,  where  they  were 
incarcerated  in  Old  Capitol  prison.  These  men  were  arrested  in 
retaliation  for  the  arrest  of  two  Union  men  by  the  Confederate 
authorities — Major  Charles  Williams,  of  Fredericksburg,  and  Mr. 
Wardwell,  of  Richmond — and  confined  in  prison  at  Richmond. 
Major  Williams  was  a  native  of  Fredericksburg  and  died  here 
several  years  after  the  war,  and  Mr.  Wardwell,  we  are  informed  was 
a  northern  man  and  was  appointed  superintendent  of  the  peniten- 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  77 

tiary  when  Virginia  was  made  "Military  District  No.  1,  with  head- 
quarters at  Richmond." 

These  nineteen  gentlemen  were  arrested  in  August,  1862,  and 
confined  in  Old  Capitol  prison  until  the  latter  part  of  the  following 
September,  a  period  of  about  six  weeks.  It  will  be  seen  from  the 
list  of  the  names  that  they  were  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town, 
exempt  from  military  service  by  reason,  either  of  age  or  official  posi- 
tion, and  were  the  natural  guardians  of  the  helpless  women  and 
children  who  were  then  in  town.  The  list  is  as  follows:*  Eev. 
Wm.  F.  Broaddus,  D.  D.,  James  McGuire,  Charles  C.  Wellford, 
Thomas  F.  Knox,  Beverley  T.  Gill,  James  H.  Bradley,  Thomas 
B.  Barton,  Benjamin  Temple,  Lewis  Wrenn,  Michael  Ames,  John 
Coakley,  John  H.  Roberts,  John  J.  Berrey,  Dr.  James  Cooke,  John 
F.  Scott,  Montgomery  Slaughter,  George  H.  C.  Rowe,  Wm.  H. 
Norton,  Abraham  Cox. 

The  Christian  Banner,  then  published  in  Fredericksburg  by  Rev. 
James  W.  Hunnicutt,  of  the  Free  Will  Baptist  denomination,  him- 
self a  strong  Union  man,  and  who  would  not  have  written  compli- 
mentary of  these  gentlemen  beyond  their  respective  merits,  pub- 
lished the  following  short  sketches  of  the  "Fredericksburg  prison- 
ers" : 

Thomas  B.  Barton  is  the  oldest  lawyer  at  the  Fredericksburg 
bar  and  Attorney  for  the  Commonwealth.  He  was  originally  an 
Old  Line  Whig  and  a  member  of  the  congregation  of  the  Episcopal 
church. 

Thomas  F.  Knox  was  a  large  wheat  speculator  and  flower  manu- 
facturer, an  Old  Line  Whig  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Epis- 
copal church. 

Beverley  T.  Gill  was,  for  a  number  of  years,  a  large  merchant 
tailor,  but  for  several  years  past  had  retired  into  private  life.  Was 
an  Old  Line  Whig  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church. 

Charles  C.  Wellford  was  an  extensive  dry  goods  merchant,  the 
oldest  in  town,  than  whom  none  stood  higher.  Was  an  Old  Line 
Whig  and  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian  church. 


•  This  list  was  obtained  from  a  diary  kept  by  John  J.  Berrey  while  in  prison. 


78  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

James  McGuire  was  one  of  the  oldest  merchants  in  Fredericks- 
burg, an  Old  Line  Whig,  a  prominent  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  a  most  excellent  man. 

James  H.  Bradley  was  a  grocery  merchant,  an  Old  Line  Whig 
and  a  deacon  in  the  Baptist  church. 

Eev.  William  F.  Broaddus,  D.  D.,  was  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist 
church  in  Fredericksburg  and  an  Old  Line  Whig.  He  conducted 
a  female  school  in  addition  to  his  pastoral  work.* 

Montgomery  Slaughter,  Mayor  of  Fredericksburg,  was  a  large 
wheat  speculator  and  flour  manufacturer,  was  an  Old  Line  Whig 
and  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

George  H.  C.  Rowe  was  a  talented  jurist,  a  Democrat  and  a 
Douglas  elector  during  the  late  presidential  election  and  a  member 
of  the  Baptist  church. 


•  Some  amusing  incidents  are  related  of  Dr.  Broaddus  while  a  prisoner 
worth  relating  in  these  pages.  The  Doctor  was  an  educated,  polished  gentleman, 
and  quite  a  humorist.  When  he  was  received  into  prison  the  keeper  proceeded 
in  his  usual  manner  to  ascertain  his  name,  age  and  place  of  nativity.  When 
asked  his  name  he  said  it  was  William  P.  Broaddus.  "What  does  the  F  stand 
for?"  asked  the  keeper.  The  Doctor  replied  that  he  did  not  know.  "Don't 
know?"  demanded  the  keeper.  "I  will  tell  you  the  circumstances."  said  the 
Doctor,  "and  let  you  decide  for  yourself.  My  name  was  William  Francis  Ferguson. 
I  did  not  like  the  two  F's  and  asked  my  mother  to  let  me  drop  one.  She  con- 
sented and  I  dropped  one,  but  I  never  could  tell  whether  I  dropped  the  one 
that  stood  for  Francis  or  the  one  that  stood  for  Ferguson.  Now,  can  you  tell 
me  which  one  I  dropped?"  The  keeper  saw  he  was  beaten,  and  demanded,  "What 
Is  your  age?"  "I  was  born  In  the  year  of  one,"  replied  the  Doctor.  "What!  Do  you 
mean  to  tell  me  you  are  1861  years  old,"  shouted  the  keeper.  "Not  at  all," 
said  the  Doctor.  "Well,  then,  explain  yourself,"  demanded  the  keeper,  showing 
some  impatience.  "I  was  born  in  the  year  one  of  this  century,"  responded  the 
Doctor.  "Where  were  you  born?"  indignantly  asked  the  keeper.  "Now,  you've 
got  me  again,"  answered  the  Doctor.  "That's  a  question  I  have  long  wanted 
settled,  and  I'll  state  the  case  and  perhaps  you  can  help  me  settle  it.  My  birth- 
place at  the  time  of  my  birth  was  In  Culpeper  county.  Changes  In  county  lines 
afterwards  placed  it  in  Rappahannock  county.  Now,  if  I  were  to  tell  you  I 
was  born  in  Culpeper,  and  you  should  go  down  there  to  Inquire,  you  would  find 
the  place  in  Rappahannock.  If  I  were  to  tell  you  I  was  born  in  Rappahan- 
nock and  you  were  to  investigate  you  would  find  that  when  I  was  born  the 
place  was  in  Culpeper  and  there  was  no  Rappahannock  county  at  the  time. 
Now,  will  you  please  tell  me  where  I  was  born?"  The  keeper  passed  him  with- 
out further  questions. 

It  was  the  habit  of  Dr.  Broaddus  to  preach  on  Sunday  mornings  to  his  fel- 
low prisoners,  and  such  others  as  would  come  to  hear  him  while  the  prison 
chaplain  would  hold  services  In  another  part  of  the  prison.  It  is  related  of  the 
superintendent  of  the  prison,  that  in  making  the  announcements  for  preaching 
he  would  cry  out :  "All  who  wish  to  hear  the  gospel  according  to  Abraham 
Lincoln  come  this  way ;  those  who  wish  to  hear  It  according  to  Jeff.  Davis  go 
over  there,"  pointing  to  Dr.  Broaddus  and  his  congregation. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  19 

John  Coakley  was  for  many  years  a  merchant,  but  for  several 
years  past  had  retired  from  business,  and,  at  the  time  of  his  arrest, 
was  Superintendent  of  the  Fredericksburg  Aquaduct  Company. 
He  was  an  Old  Line  Whig  and  a  very  prominent  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church. 

Benjamin  Temple  was  a  wealthy  farmer,  an  Old  Line  Whig  and, 
we  believe,  a  member  of  no  church,  but  a  most  excellent  man. 

Dr.  James  Cooke  was  a  druggist,  owning  the  largest  establish- 
ment, perhaps  south  of  the  Potomac  river;  was  an  Old  Line  Whig 
and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

John  P.  Scott  was  proprietor  of  the  large  Fredericksburg 
foundry  and  carried  on  an  extensive  business  up  to  the  time  the 
Union  troops  took  possession  of  Fredericksburg,  was  an  Old  Line 
Whig  and  a  prominent  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 

John  H.  Eoberts  lived  off  his  income,  was  an  old  Line  Whig 
and,  we  believe,  was  a  member  of  no  church. 

Michael  Ames  was  a  blacksmith,  an  Old  Line  Whig  and  a  mem- 
ber of  no  church. 

John  J.  Berrey,  formerly  engaged  in  a  large  produce  business, 
but  at  the  time  of  his  arrest  connected  with  a  hardware  store,  was 
an  Old  Line  Whig  and  a  member  of  no  church. 

Abraham  Cox  was  a  tailor,  a  Breckinridge  Democrat  and  a 
Southern  Methodist. 

William  H.  Norton  was  a  house  carpenter,  an  Old  Line  Whig 
and  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

Lewis  Wrenn,  no  particular  business,  an  Old  Line  Whig  and  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church. 

After  these  gentlemen  had  been  in  prison  some  four  weeks  they 
procured  a  parole  and  permission  to  send  Dr.  Broaddus  to  Rich- 
mond to  effect  the  release  of  Major  Williams  and  Mr.  Wardwell, 
that  he  and  his  friends  might  be  liberated  and  permitted  to  re- 
turn to  their  homes.  Armed  with  a  parole  and  passports,  Dr. 
Broaddus  proceeded  to  Richmond,  where  he  called  upon  Judge 
Beverley  R.  Wellford,  Jr.,  formally  of  Fredericksburg,  who  went 
with  him  to  see  Mr.  Randolph,  Secretary  of  War.  After  hearing 
the  case  Mr.  Randolph  ordered  the  release  of  the  two  prisoners,  and 


80  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Dr.  Broaddus  returned  to  Washington  with  great  joy,  supposing 
that  he  and  his  fellow  prisoners  would  be  at  once  set  at  liberty. 
But  not  so.  The  Federal  authorities  changed  their  requirements 
and  demanded  also  the  release  of  two  gentlemen  by  the  name  of 
Turner,  who  resided  in  Fairfax  county,  and  were  then  held  in  a 
Confederate  prison. 

It  took  nearly  two  weeks  to  effect  the  release  of  these  Turners, 
and  when  it  was  done  the  certificate  of  release,  signed  by  General 
Winder,  the  Commandant  of  the  post  at  Richmond,  was  rejected  by 
the  Federal  authorities  as  evidence  of  the  release  of  the  prisoners, 
and  the  personal  presence  of  the  Turners  was  demanded  in  Wash- 
ington before  the  release  of  the  Fredericksburg  party.  This  took 
time,  but  it  was  finally  accomplished,  and  the  Fredericksburgers 
were  permitted  to  leave  their  prison  pen  and  again  ''breathe  the  air 
of  freedom."  They  were  sent  down  the  Potomac  river  on  a  steamer 
to  Marlborough  Point,  from  which  landing  they  walked  to  town  to 
greet  their  families  and  friends.  There  was  great  rejoicing  on 
their  return,  and  the  whole  population  turned  out  to  meet  them 
and  give  them  a  cordial  welcome.  Of  that  party  of  nineteen  not  one 
of  them  is  living  to-day.  The  'last  one  to  cross  the  river"  was  Mr. 
Abraham  Cox,  who  died  December  28,  1898,  eighty-six  years  of  age. 

But  the  unkindness  of  the  military  authorities  and  their  harsh 
treatment  of  our  citizens,  by  the  order  of  General  Pope,  did  not 
cease  with  the  arrest  and  incarceration  of  the  nineteen  gentlemen 
above  mentioned.  Among  other  things,  the  Federal  Provost  Mar- 
shal of  Fredericksburg  was  charged  with  too  much  leniency  to  the 
citizens  and  was  removed;  Col.  Scriver  was  falsely  charged  with 
furnishing  the  destitute  with  food,  and  was  ordered  to  stop  it  at 
once,  if  he  had  done  so,  and  not  to  repeat  it,  and  the  stores  and 
places  of  business  were  closed,  it  was  said,  to  prevent  the  citizens 
from  obtaining  supplies.  General  Pope's  plan  seems  to  have  been, 
aB  he  declared,  to  subsist  his  army  as  much  as  possible  on  the  coun- 
try and  to  starve  the  old  men  and  women  into  submission  to  his 
demands.  In  this,  however,  he  was  not  sustained  by  the  Washing- 
ton authorities,  and  especially  by  President  Lincoln. 

This  condition  of  things  in  Fredericksburg  continued  only  for  a 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  81 

short  time.  The  campaign,  inaugurated  by  General  Pope,  which 
resulted  in  the  Second  Battle  of  Manassas  and  so  disastrously  to  the 
Federal  army,  was  speedily  followed  by  the  advance  of  the  Con- 
federate army  into  Maryland,  the  capture  of  Harper's  Ferry,  with 
General  Kelson  A.  Miles's  whole  force  of  eleven  thousand  prisoners 
and  immense  military  supplies,  by  General  Thomas  J.  (Stonewall) 
Jackson,  aided  by  General  Wm.  Barksdale,  on  the  Maryland 
Heights,  and  General  John  B.  Floyd,  on  the  Loudoun  Heights, 
and  the  fierce  and  bloody,  but  undecided,  struggle  between  General 
Lee  and  General  McClellan  at  Sharpsburg. 

In  consequence  of  the  results  of  these  events  the  Federal  authori- 
ties found  it  necessary  to  recall  from  the  line  of  the  Eappahannock, 
which  they  were  unable  to  hold,  the  forces  then  occupying  the  same, 
and  therefore  on  the  21st  day  of  August,  1862,  Fredericksburg 
was  evacuated  by  the  Federal  forces,  and  thus  for  a  brief  time  the 
town  was  relieved  from  the  presence  and  rule  of  the  enemy  until 
the  following  November,  when  Gen.  Burnside  moved  against  the 
town. 

EVACUATION"    SCENES. 

The  scenes  incident  to  the  evacuation  of  Fredericksburg  are  well 
remembered  to  the  present  day  by  those  who  were  present  and  wit- 
nessed them.  They  are  indelibly  impressed  upon  their  minds  and 
can  never  be  forgotten,  and  are  often  related  with  great  interest. 
In  describing  this  stirring  event  and  the  reoccupation  of  the  town 
in  the  Fall  of  1862,  we  use  the  eyes  of  citizens,  who  were  present 
and  witnessed  the  scenes  described  and  the  words  of  another,  who 
wrote  of  them  years  afterwards.*  Crowds  at  the  corners  of  the 
streets  indicated  that  some  unusual  excitement  prevailed,  and 
clouds  of  smoke  rose  from  the  encampments  on  the  Stafford  side  of 
the  river.  Everything  indicated  an  immediate  departure.  The 
guards  were  drawn  up  in  line;  the  horses  and  wagons  packed  at 
headquarters;  cavalry  officers  rode  up  and  down,  giving  orders; 


*  The  scenes  of  the  evacuation  of  Fredericksburg  are  taken  principally  from 
"The  Past,  Present  and  Future  of  Fredericksburg,  by  Rev.  Robert  R.  Howison.  LL. 
D.,  who  was  aided  In  its  preparation  by  diaries  kept  by  those  present  at  the 
time  and  the  recitals  of  other  eye  witnesses,  besides  newspaper  articles,  the  re- 
ports of  Generals  in  both  armies  and  our  own  knowledge,  being  present. 
6 


82  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

company  after  company  of  pickets  were  led  into  town  from  different 
roads  and  joined  the  regiment  at  the  City  Hall;  ambulances,  with 
the  sick,  moved  slowly  through  the  streets ;  the  provost  marshal  and 
his  adjutant  rode  by,  and,  in  a  few  minutes,  the  command  was 
given  to  march,  and  the  infantry  and  cavalry  marched  down  to  the 
bridges,  each  one  moving  by  different  streets.  This  march  was 
quietly  made.  There  was  no  music,  no  drum,  no  voice,  but  the 
command  of  the  officers'  forward,  march ! 

The  ladies,  standing  in  groups  along  the  streets,  found  it  diffi- 
cult to  repress  their  exultation.  Glad  to  be  relieved  of  the  presence 
of  the  enemy,  and  to  be  freed  from  the  restraints  of  their  power; 
glad  to  be  once  more  within  Southern  lines,  and  to  be  brought  into 
communication  with  their  own  dear  people;  but  the  great  gladness 
was  that  the  evacuation  of  Fredericksburg  showed  that  the  enemy 
had  been  defeated  on  the  upper  line  and  could  no  longer  hold  the 
line  of  the  Bappahannock  river.  And  this  gave  them  strong  hope 
that  Virginia  might  yet  be  free  from  the  armies  of  the  invader. 

Several  severe  explosions  followed  the  blowing  up  of  the  two 
bridges,  and,  as  the  bright  flames  seized  upon  and  leaped  along  the 
sides  and  floors  of  the  bridges,  the  whole  horizon  was  illuminated. 
The  burning  continued  all  night.  A  guard  was  at  once  organized 
by  the  citizens,  for  the  protection  of  the  town  against  any  stragglers 
or  unruly  persons  who  might  chance  to  be  prowling  about. 

With  the  departure  of  the  Federal  troops  came  now  the  desire 
on  the  part  of  the  citizens  of  town  and  country  to  meet  and  greet 
each  other,  and  also  a  longing  to  welcome  the  appearance  of  the 
Confederates,  a  sight  which  had  so  long  been  denied  them.  In 
this,  to  their  great  delight,  they  were  soon  to  realize  their  wish,  for 
on  the  2nd  day  of  September  about  two  hundred  people  came  into 
town  from  the  surrounding  country,  and  general  congratulations 
ensued.  On  the  evening  of  that  day  a  small  force  of  Confederate 
cavalry  rode  into  town  and  were  received  with  shouts  of  joy.  The 
ladies  lined  the  streets,  waving  their  hankerchiefs  and  loudly  utter- 
ing their  welcome. 

On  the  morning  of  the  4th  of  September  the  soldiers  in  camp  at 
Hazel  Run  were  treated  to  breakfast  by  the  ladies,  and  greatly  en- 


"Chancellorsville   Tavern,"    Gen.    Hooker's  Headquarters  during  the 

battle  there  in  18(53.     Burnt  during  that  battle,  May  3rd. 

(See  page  95) 


"The  Sunken  Road,"  along  which  the  "stone  wall"  stood,  form- 
ing breastworks  for  the  Confederates  in  1862  and  1863. 
(See  page  91 ) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  83 

joyed  the  hot  rolls,  beefsteak  and  hot  coffee,  after  their  long  absti- 
nence from  such  delicacies,  and  probably  from  rations  of  any  sort. 
After  a  brief  season  of  comparative  quiet,  disturbed  only  by  the 
general  interest  felt  in  the  operations  of  our  armies,  the  condition 
of  the  country  generally,  and  the  liability  to  the  reoccupation  of 
the  town  at  any  time,  Fredericksburg  was  again  the  subject  and 
recipient  of  war's  horrors  in  their  most  appalling  form. 

GENERAL  BURNSIDE's    OCCUPATION    OF    FREDERICKSBURG. 

The  Preliminaries  to  the  Great  Battle. 

On  Sunday  morning,  the  10th  of  November,  1862,  a  company 
of  Federal  cavalry,  commanded  by  Captain  Ulric  Dahlgren 
crossed  the  Rappahannock  river,  above  Falmouth,  and  charged 
rapidly  down  Main  street,  with  drawn  sabres.  A  small  force  of 
Confederate  cavalry  (Colonel  John  Critcher's  battalion),  was  quar- 
tered in  town,  who,  recovering  from  the  disorder  into  which  they 
were  thrown  by  the  sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  of  the 
enemy,  quickly  rallied,  and,  aided  by  citizens  and  Captain  Simp- 
son's company,  of  Colonel  W.  B.  Ball's  command,  attacked  the 
raiders,  pursued  and  drove  them  across  the  river,  inflicting  upon 
them  a  slight  loss  in  men  and  horses.  The  Federal  army  then  be- 
gan to  move  down  from  Fauquier,  Culpeper  and  Prince  William* 
counties,  through  Stafford  county,  to  occupy  Fredericksburg. 

To  Colonel  Wm.  A.  Ball,  an  experienced  officer,  who  had  greatly- 
distinguished  himself  at  the  battle  of  Leesburg,  and  in  other  en- 
counters, was  entrusted  by  General  Lee  the  duty  of  holding  the 
town,  and  in  retarding  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  if  possible, 
with  the  promise  of  speedy  reinforcements.  The  divisions  of 
Gen.  Lafayette  McLaws  and  General  Robert  Ransom,  of  General 
Longstreet's  corps,  with  General  Wm.  H.  F.  Lee's  brigade  of  cavalry 
and  a  battery  of  artillery,  were  marched  hurriedly  to  this  point, 
and  the  whole  of  General  Lee's  army  prepared  to  follow. 

On  Sunday,  November  16th,  Colonel  Ball's  scouts  announced  the 
approach  of  the  enemy  on  three  roads — the  Warrenton,  Stafford 
Courthouse  and  the  Poplar.  He  telegraphed  to  General  Gustavus 
W.    Smith,   in    Richmond,   for   reinforcements.       General    Smith. 


84  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

promptly  sent  him  a  battalion  of  four  companies,  under  Major 
Finney,  from  the  Forty-second  Mississippi.  With  his  small  force, 
which  scarcely  exceeded  five  hundred  men,  the  gallant  Colonel  pro- 
posed to  engage  the  enemy,  if  he  sought  to  cross  the  Rappahannock 
near  Fredericksburg.  Colonel  Ball  placed  his  infantry  in  the  mill- 
race  and  mill  opposite  Falmouth,  stationed  his  cavalry  in  the  upper 
part  of  Fredericksburg  and  planted  Captain  John  W.  Lewis's  bat- 
tery of  four  guns  and  eighty  men  on  the  plateau  around  the  old 
Fitzgerald  residence,  at  Little  Falls,  half  a  mile  above  the  town. 

At  10  o'clock  on  Monday,  the  18th,  the  Southern  scouts  were 
driven  across  the  river  by  the  enemy's  cavalry,  and  several  hours 
thereafter  a  Federal  corps,  of  twelve  thousand  strong,  appeared  on 
the  Stafford  Heights,  opposite  Fredericksburg,  and  planted  their 
field-batteries,  consisting  of  more  than  twenty  guns.  Capt.  Lewis's 
men  maintained  their  ground  and  replied  to  the  rapid  firing  of  the 
enemy.  The  distance  was  short — less  than  half  a  mile.  The  fir- 
ing of  the  men  was  accurate,  yet  the  Confederate  fire  was  kept  up, 
and  the  Federals,  uncertain  as  to  the  force  opposing  them,  made  no 
attempt  to  cross  the  river. 

Colonel  Ball,  with  five  hundred  men,  maintained  his  front,  in 
the  face  of  the  twelve  thousand  Federals,  encouraged  by  General 
Lee,  who  telegraphed  him,  "Hold  your  position  if  you  can.  Rein- 
forcements are  hurrying  to  you."  On  Tuesday,  the  18th,  the 
enemy's  force  was  largely  increased.  General  Burnside's  whole 
force  was  pouring  down  to  the  Stafford  hills.  They  were  waiting 
for  pontoon  bridges,  and  did  not  cross  the  river. 

Meanwhile  Gen.  Lee's  army  was  rushing  down  the  roads  from 
Culpeper  and  Orange  counties  to  occupy  the  crest  of  hills  around 
Fredericksburg.  "Wednesday,  at  daybreak,  General  Fitzhugh  Lee's 
cavalry  arrived.  The  next  morning  General  McLaws,  with  his 
own  division  and  that  of  General  Ransom's,  was  in  position,  and  on 
the  20th  the  Commander-in-Chief  was  at  hand  to  direct  the  move- 
ments of  the  remainder  of  General  Longstreet's  command  and  Gen- 
eral Jackson's  corps,  which  rapidly  followed  him. 

On  Tuesday,  the  20th  of  November,  by  request  of  General  Lee, 
Montgomery  Slaughter,  Mayor  of  Fredericksburg,  accompanied  by 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  85 

the  Kecorder,  "William  A.  Little,  Esq.,  and  by  Mr.  Douglas  H.  Gor- 
don, a  member  of  her  Council,  held  an  interview  with  the  Con- 
federate Commander-in-Chief.  It  was  held  at  Snowden,  the  resi- 
dence of  the  late  John  L.  Stansbury,  about  a  mile  above  town.  On 
Friday,  the  21st,  General  E.  V.  Sumner,  of  the  Federal  Army,  sent 
over  a  flag  of  truce,  with  a  written  message  to  the  Mayor  and  Com- 
mon Council  of  Fredericksburg.  General  Patrick,  the  bearer  of 
the  message,  was  met  by  Colonel  Wm.  A.  Ball  at  "French  John's'' 
wharf,  at  the  foot  of  Hawke  street.  General  Sumner's  letter,  to 
the  town  authorities  was  as  follows : 

"Gentlemen  : —  Under  cover  of  the  houses  of  your  town,  shots 
have  been  fired  upon  the  troops  of  my  command.  Your  mills  and 
factories  are  furnishing  provisions  and  material  for  clothing  for 
armed  bodies  in  rebellion  against  the  Government  of  the  United 
States.  Your  railroads  and  other  means  of  transportation  are  re- 
moving supplies  to  the  depots  of  such  troops.  This  condition  of 
things  must  terminate;  and  by  direction  of  Major- General  Burn- 
side,  commanding  this  army,  I  accordingly  demand  the  surrender 
of  the  city  into  my  hands,  as  the  representative  of  the  Government 
of  the  United  States,  at  or  before  five  o'clock  this  afternoon  (5 
o'clock  P.  M.  to-day).  Failing  an  affirmative  reply  to  this  demand 
by  the  time  indicated,  sixteen  (16  hours)  hours  will  be  permitted 
to  elapse  for  the  removal  from  the  city  of  women  and  children,  the 
sick,  wounded  and  aged;  which  period  having  elapsed,  I  shall 
proceed  to  shell  the  town. 

"Upon  obtaining  possession  of  the  town  every  necessary  means 
will  be  taken  to  preserve  order  and  secure  the  protective  operation 
of  the  laws  and  policy  of  the  United  States  Government." 

Colonel  Ball  simply  stated  to  General  Patrick  that  before  deliver- 
ing the  letter  to  the  civil  authorities  it  must  be  referred  to  his  com- 
manding military  officer.  But  neither  he  nor  the  Mayor  gave  any 
intimation  of  the  actual  presence  of  General  Lee,  with  a  large  part 
of  his  army,  on  the  heights  in  rear  of  the  town.  General  Patrick 
was  obliged  to  remain  in  the  log  house  from  ten  o'clock  in  the 
morning  to   seven   in  the  afternoon,   on  the   21st.       Meanwhile 


86  History  af  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Colonel  Ball,  through  the  proper  channels  forwarded  the  letter  to 
General  Lee.  At  twenty  minutes  before  five  o'clock  in  the  after- 
noon the  letter  was  received  at  his  office  by  the  Mayor,  through 
General  J.  E.  B.  Stuart,  who  communicated  in  full  General  Lee's 
decision.  With  the  aid  of  his  advisers,  Mayor  Slaughter  prepared 
a  written  reply,  bearing  date,  "Mayor's  Office,  Fredericksburg, 
November  21st,  1862."  This  reply  was  to  the  effect  that  the  com- 
munication of  General  Sumner  had  not  reached  the  Mayor  in  time 
to  furnish  a  reply  by  5  o'clock  P.  M.,  as  requested ;  that  it  had  been 
sent  to  him  after  passing  (by  General  Patrick's  consent)  through  the 
hands  of  the  commanding  officer  of  the  Confederate  States  forces 
near  the  town ;  that  as  to  the  shots  complained  of  in  the  northern 
suburbs  of  the  town,  they  were  the  acts  of  the  Confederate  military 
force  holding  the  town ;  that  the  Mayor  was  authorized  to  say  that 
the  several  subjects  of  complaint  would  not  recur;  that  the  Con- 
federate troops  would  not  occupy  the  town,  and  neither  would  they 
permit  the  Federal  troops  to  do  so.  Mayor  Slaughter,  attended 
by  Dr.  Wm.  S.  Scott  and  Samuel  S.  Howison,  Esq.,  repaired  to  the 
place  of  meeting,  and,  at  about  seven  o'clock  in  the  evening,  de- 
livered the  reply  to  General  Patrick. 

In  view  of  the  threatened  shelling  of  the  town,  General  Lee 
advised  the  inhabitants  to  remove  from  it  as  rapidly  as  possible. 
The  bombardment  was  not  opened  the  next  morning,  but  it  became 
apparent  that  the  enemy  would  cross,  and  the  town  would  be  ex- 
posed, not  only  to  their  fire,  but  to  the  most  terrible  desolations  of 
war.  The  humane  and  considerate  Chief  of  the  Confederate  army 
urged  the  women  and  children  to  leave  the  town,  and  furnished 
wagons,  ambulances  and  every  facility  in  his  power  for  their  aid. 

THE  INHABITANTS  LEAVE  THEIR  HOMES. 

Then  followed  a  scene,  illustrating  both  the  horrors  of  war  and 
the  virtues  to  which  it  sometimes  gives  birth.  The  people  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, almost  en  masse,  left  their  homes  rather  than  yield  to 
the  enemy.  Trains  of  cars  departed,  full  of  refugees.  Upon  the 
last  the  enemy  opened  a  fire  of  shells;  they  afterwards  explained 
that  it  was  a  mistake.     Wagons  and  vehicles  of  every  kind  left  the 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  87 

town  filled  with  women  and  little  children,  with  the  few  articles  of 
apparel  and  necessity  that  could  be  removed.  Many  were  seen  on 
foot  along  the  roads  leading  into  the  country.  Winter  had  com- 
menced, and  snow  had  fallen.  Many  were  compelled  to  take 
refuge  in  cabins,  barns  and  tents,  scattered  through  the  woods  and 
fields.  They  were  dependent  for  food  on  the  exertions  of  their 
friends  and  the  humane  efforts  of  the  Southern  army. 

A  few  families  remained  in  Fredericksburg,  determined  to  brave 
the  horrors  of  war  as  long  as  possible.  The  hardships  and  priva- 
tions, incurred  by  these  people,  who  surrendered  their  homes  and 
property  to  destruction  rather  than  remain  with  them  and  fall 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemies  of  their  country,  excited  the  sym- 
pathy and  won  the  admiration  of  the  South.  A  movement  to 
aid  them  commenced  in  Eichmond.  A  committee  of  relief  and 
treasurer  was  appointed,  and  funds  were  liberally  contributed 
throughout  the  South,  and  the  soldiers  in  the  field,  of  their  small 
rations  and  pay,  contributed  generously,  both  in  food  and  money. 
The  contributions  of  the  people  and  army  continued  until  more 
than  ninety  thousand  dollars  had  been  received  and  disbursed  by 
the  committee  in  Eichmond  and  nearly  an  equal,  if  not  greater, 
sum  was  distributed  by  Mayor  Slaughter. 

A  number  of  skirmishes  of  an  unimportant  character  were  soon 
followed  by  the  grand  movement  of  the  enemy.  On  the  night  of 
December  the  10th  the  armies  prepared  for  action.  Two  hundred 
and  fifty  thousand  armed  men,  like  crouched  lions  ready  to  spring 
upon  their  adversary,  were  ready  for  the  bloody  conflict.  It  was 
the  most  restless,  anxious  night  ever  passed  by  the  citizens  of  Fred- 
ericksburg. It  was  the  night  of  terror !  The  dread  of 
to-morrow  hung  like  a  pall  over  the  devoted  city,  and  everybody 
was  hurriedly  preparing  for  the  awful  destruction  that  was  at  hand 
and  could  not  be  averted.  The  threatened  bombardment  had  long 
been  delayed,  and  many  citizens  had  returned  from  their  flight. 
From  one  end  of  the  town  to  the  other,  all  during  that  sleepless 
night,  could  be  seen  in  nearly  every  home  dim  lights,  where  busy 
hands  with  heavy  hearts  were  preparing  for  the  flight  at  the  sound 
of  the  first  gun.     What  to  attempt  to  carry,  and  what  to  leave  to 


88  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

be  destroyed  by  the  enemy,  was  the  perplexing  question,  and  so  in 
the  anxiety  of  the  refugees  to  take  with  them  sufficient  food,  cloth- 
ing and  bedding  to  prevent  suffering  from  cold  and  hunger,  they 
overtaxed  their  strength  and  had  to  abandon  many  things  on  the 
roadside. 

THE  BOMBARDMENT  OF  THE  TOWN. 

Having  received  his  pontoon  bridges,  General  Burnside  prepared 
to  throw  his  grand  army  across  the  river.  At  two  o'clock  on  the 
morning  of  Thursday,  December  the  11th,  his  troops  were  put  in 
motion  and  two  signal  guns  from  the  Confederate  side,  at  five 
o'clock,*  sounded  a  note  of  warning  to  the  people  and  the  army. 
General  Burnside  commenced  throwing  three  pontoon  bridges 
across  the  Eappahannock  river.  One  was  to  span  the  river  at 
French  John's  wharf,  at  the  foot  of  Hawke  street,  one  at  Scott's 
Ferry,  at  the  lower  end  of  Water  street,  and  one  at  Deep  Run, 
about  two  and  a  half  miles  below  town.  General  Wm.  Barksdale's 
brigade,  consisting  of  the  Thirteenth,  Seventeenth,  Eighteenth  and 
Twenty-first  Mississippi  regiments,  held  the  town. 

"General  Barksdale  kept  his  men  quiet  and  concealed  until  the 
bridges  were  so  far  advanced  that  the  working  parties  were  in  easy 
range,  when  he  opened  fire  with  such  effect  that  the  bridges  were 
abandoned  at  once.  Nine  separate  and  desperate  attempts  were 
made  to  complete  the  bridges  under  fire  of  their  sharpshooters  and 
guns  on  the  opposite  bank,  but  every  attempt  being  attended  with 
such  severe  loss  from  the  Confederates,  posted  in  rifle-pits,  in  the 
cellars  of  the  houses  along  the  banks,  and  behind  whatever  offered 
concealment,  that  the  enemy  abandoned  their  attempts  and  opened 
a  terrific  fire  from  their  numerous  batteries  concentrated  along  the 
hills  just  above  the  river.  The  fire  was  so  severe  that  the  men 
could  not  use  their  rifles,  and,  the  different  places  occupied  by  them 
becoming  untenable,  the  troops  were  withdrawn  from  the  river 
bank  back  to  Caroline  street  at  4:30  P.  M.  The  enemy  then 
crossed  in  boats,  and,  completing  their  bridges,  passed  over  in 
force  and  advanced  into  the  town.     The  Seventeenth  Mississippi 


*  See  General  Lafayette  McLaws's  report  of  the  battle. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  89 

and  ten  sharpshooters  from  Colonel  J.  W.  Carter's  regiment  (the 
13th)  and  three  companies  of  the  Eighteenth  regiment,  Lieu- 
tenant Colonel  Luse,  under  Lieutenant  William  Katliff,  were  all 
the  troops  that  were  actually  engaged  in  defending  the  crossings  in 
front  of  the  city."** 

The  other  regiments  and  parts  of  regiments  were  held  in  reserve, 
and  were  not  brought  into  action  until  the  enemy  had  crossed  the 
river.  At  the  first  dawn  of  light  on  the  morning  of  December  the 
11th  the  Federal  artillery  commenced  its  work  of  destruction. 
From  the  heights  above  the  town  of  Falmouth,  north  of  Fredericks- 
burg, to  the  Washington  farm  below,  on  every  available  place 
artillery  was  stationed,  bearing  upon  the  town.  About  one  hun- 
dred and  seventy-five  of  the  grim  monsters,  ready  to  "belch  forth 
death  and  destruction/'  were  placed  in  position  the  day  before,  well 
manned,  and  only  waiting  for  the  signal  to  send  forth  their  deadly 
messengers  of  shot  and  shell. 

At  the  hour  appointed  the  signal  was  given,  and  the  thunder 
of  artillery,  the  lightning  from  bursting  shells  in  the  air,  the 
crashing  of  solid  shot  through  the  houses,  the  roar  of  musketry  on 
both  sides  of  the  river,  the  shrieks  of  frightened  women  and  chil- 
dren, the  bustle  and  confusion  that  followed,  may  be  imagined,  but 
can  never  be  described.  From  early  morning  until  four  o'clock 
in  the  afternoon,  with  only  half  an  hour's  cessation  between  one 
and  two  o'clock,  this  deluge  of  shot  and  shell  was  poured  upon  the 
streets  and  houses  of  the  town.  The  few  inhabintants  who  re- 
mained in  the  town  fled  to  their  cellars  and  sought  to  save  their 
lives  from  the  storm  which  was  beating  their  homes  to  pieces. 
Many  houses  were  burned  with  all  or  most  of  their  contents,  the 
result  of  hot  shot,  it  was  claimed,  thrown  from  the  enemy's  guns 
on  the  Lacy  farm,  just  opposite  the  town.  Among  the  houses  that 
were  burned  were  the  residence  of  Mr.  Eeuben  T.  Thom,  in  which 
was  located  the  post-office ;  the  Bank  of  Virginia,  where  the  Opera- 
house  now  stands,  and  several  other  private  residences  on  Main 
street.     And  yet  the  worst  was  still  to  come. 

•  Extract  from  Gen  Lafayette  McLaws's  official  report  of  the  battle  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, made  to  General  james  Longstreet — War  of  Rebellion,  Series  1, 
Vol.  21,  page  578. 


CHAPTER  VII 

The  great  battle — The  town  sacked  by  soldiers — A  wonderful  dis- 
play of  humanity — The  Federals  recross  the  river — A  great 
revival  of  -religion — The  battle  of  Chancellorsville — The  Wild- 
erness campaign — Citizens  arrested — A  statement  by  the  Coun- 
cil— The  citizens  and  Federal  soldiers  release,  &c. 

To  those  who  had  a  proper  idea  of  the  sacrifices  made,  the  suffer- 
ings endured  and  the  privations  experienced  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Fredericksburg,  up  to  this  period,  whether  that  idea  was  formed 
from  observation,  from  reading  the  narratives  or  from  their  rehear- 
sals by  those  who  experienced  them,  it  might  appear  that  their  cup 
of  sorrow  was  full  even  to  overflowing,  and  from  further  troubles 
and  trials  they  might  be  exempted.  But  not  so.  Probably  the 
worst  was  yet  to  come;  but  they  firmly  believed  that  the  same 
patriotic  devotion  to  the  cause  they  had  espoused,  and  the  same 
fidelity  to  principle  which  enabled  them  to  "bear  the  spoiling  of 
their  goods"  with  composure  in  the  past,  would  sustain  them  in 
any  additional  trials  and  sacrifices  they  might  have  to  endure  in 
the  future.  Patriotic,  self  sacrificing  and  confiding  in  the  right, 
they  were  prepared  for  the  worst,  and  the  worst  came. 

On  taking  possession  of  Fredericksburg  the  Federal  soldiers 
abandoned  themselves  to  pillage  and  destruction.  They  entered 
the  stores  and  dwellings,  forcing  their  way  where  force  was  neces- 
sary, rifling  them  of  all  that  they  wanted  of  their  contents  and  de- 
stroying those  things  that  they  could  not  remove.  China  and  glass- 
ware were  broken  up  and  scattered  promiscuously;  silverware  was 
carried  away,  books  and  family  pictures  were  mutilated  and  de- 
stroyed; furniture  was  cut  up  or  broken  up  and  converted  into 
fire-wood,  beds,  bedclothing  and  wearing  apparel  were  destroyed 
or  carried  off,  and  the  residences  were  left  despoiled  of  their  con- 
tents. In  the  three  days  they  occupied  the  town  they  made  the 
destruction  complete.  But  it  is  a  gratification,  even  to  those  who 
suffered  by  this  occupation,  to  know  that  the  commanders  were  not 
to  blame  for  the  sacking  of  the  town.     It  was  the  work,  so  it  is 

[90] 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  91 

asserted,  of  stragglers  and  camp  followers — the  most  detestable  and 
destructive  scabs  of  an  army. 

On  Friday,  the  12th  of  December,  the  Union  army  was  drawn 
up  in  line  of  battle,  prepared  to  advance.  Not  less  than  sixty 
thousand  men  were  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  with  more  than 
a  hundred  pieces  of  artillery.  Near  the  mouth  of  Deep  Eun  there 
were  probably  as  many  more  ready  for  the  final  charge.  The  Con- 
federate army  was  confronting  them  in  a  line  extending  from  Fall 
Hill  to  Hamilton's  Crossing,  between  six  and  seven  miles  in  length. 
At  one  o'clock  the  heavy  batteries  on  each  side  opened,  and  for  an 
hour  kept  up  a  brilliant  duel  of  shell  and  round  shot.  On  the 
morning  of  Saturday,  the  13th  of  December,  a  dense  fog  hung  over 
the  river  and  the  adjoining  fields.  Under  its  cover  the  Federal 
army  advanced.  By  eight  o'clock  it  was  in  position  and  the  dread- 
ful conflict  began. 

Line  after  line  of  battle  advanced  on  the  Confederate  position,  at 
the  stone  wall  at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Heights,  to  be  repulsed  with 
great  slaughter.  This  was  kept  up  without  cessation,  charge  after 
charge,  as  rapidly  as  they  could  reform  the  men,  from  eight  o'clock 
in  the  morning  until  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  when  one  des- 
perate charge,  with  troops  en  masse,  was  made  all  along  the  line  in 
front  of  the  stone  wall,  accompanied  by  the  most  terrific  fire  of 
artillery.  In  this  last  and  grandest  effort,  the  men,  marching  to 
death  and  destruction  through  an  open  field,  got  within  twenty- 
five  yards  of  the  stone  wall,  notwithstanding  the  deadly  aim  of  the 
Confederate  infantry  behind  it  and-  the  destructive  fire  of  the  artil- 
lery on  the  heights  above,  so  skillfully  arranged  by  General  E.  .P. 
Alexander. 

It  was  a  sublime  spectacle,  and  the  gallantry  of  both  officers  and 
men  won  the  admiration  of  the  commanders  on  both  sides,  Lieute- 
nant-General  Longstreet,  on  the  Confederate  side,  declaring  that 
such  gallant  conduct  deserved  success.  But  success  was  not  to  be 
theirs.  The  gallant  charges  of  the  Federals  were  met  with  that 
undaunted  coolness  and  courage  so  characteristic  of  the  Confederate 
soldier,  and  a  disastrous  Federal  defeat  was  the  result.  The  fight- 
ing was  the  most  desperate  that  had  been  witnessed  up  to  that  time, 


92  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

and  the  Union  loss  was  very  great,  being  nearly  fifty  per  cent,  of 
the  numbers  engaged.  The  battle-field  was  covered  with  the  dead, 
wounded  and  dying,  and  it  is  related  by  those  behind  the  stone 
wall  that  all  during  the  night  the  most  piteous  groans  and  cries, 
for  water  of  the  wounded  could  be  heard,  but  no  relief  could  be 
afforded,  although  the  Confederates  deeply  sympathized  with 
them.*  Thus  ended  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg,  fought,  it  is 
claimed,  against  the  judgment  and  advice  of  every  corps  com- 
mander in  the  army  who  refused  to  renew  the  attack  next  day, 
although  it  was  the  desire  of  Gen.  Burnside  to  do  so. 

THE  FEDERALS  EECROSS  THE  RIVER. 

On  Monday  night,  December  the  15th,  General  Burnside  with- 
drew his  army  across  the  river  and  removed  his  pontoons.  The 
citizens  returned  to  their  houses,  to  find  them  stripped  of  every- 
thing that  was  left  in  them.  What  could  not  be  carried  away  was 
broken  up  and  destroyed.  Private  residences,  orphan  asylums, 
church  buildings  and  lodges  of  benevolent  and  charitable  institu- 
tions, all  fared  alike.  Not  only  were  the  residences  of  the  refugees 
deprived  of  everything  left  in  them,  but  the  returning  citizens  were 
without  money  and  food.  They  were  in  a  destitute  condition,  and, 
between  the  two  great  armies,  with  no  prospect  of  relief,  unless  it 


*  It  is  said  that  Just  south  of  the  Stevens  house,  about  a  hundred  yards  in 
front  of  the  Confederate  line,  lay  a  wounded  Union  soldier  on  the  night  of  the 
13th.  His  supply  of  water  gave  out.  Just  before  daylight  he  began  to  call  for 
water.  The  cry  was  incessant.  Both  lines  could  hear  him,  but  no  one  seemed 
willing  to  venture  to  his  relief.  As  the  day  dawned  he  seemed  to  cry  louder — 
water,  water,  water ;  but  none  came.  Among  those  who  heard  him,  and  whose 
heart  was  touched  with  pity,  was  a  Confederate  youth,  yet  in  his  teens.  He 
determined  to  answer  the  call  or  die  in  the  attempt ;  and  so  informed  Gen. 
Kershaw,  his  commander,  who  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  it.  But  his  purpose 
was  fixed,  and  it  is  said  that  just  as  "the  sun  was  gilding  the  blue  arch  above 
witn  his  golden  beams,"  this  youth  took  his  canteen,  filled  with  water,  Jumped 
over  the  stone  wall,  and,  with  form  bending  low,  carried  it  to  the  sufferer.  Just 
as  the  deed  was  accomplished  a  yell  of  approval  went  up  from  both  Confederate 
and  Union  lines,  such  as  was  never  heard  before,  and  which  was  repeated  time 
and  again.  The  boy  soldier  did  not  have  to  bend  his  form  in  returning  to  his 
post.  He  went  back  a  hero,  and  a  good  Samaritan,  proclaimed  such  by  both 
armies,  and  he  has  since  been  immortalized  in  verse.  That  youth  was  Richard 
Kirkland,  of  Co.  E.  2nd  S.  C.  Vol.  He  has  a  memorial  stone  in  the  Church  of 
the  Prince  of  Peace  at  Gettysburg,  and  the  inscription  :  A  hero  of  benevolence ; 
at  the  risk  of  his  life  he  gave  his  enemy  drink  at  Fredericksburg.  He  was 
killed  at  Chickamauga. 


Gen.  Hugh  Mercer's  Monument  on  Washington  avenue. 
(See  page  162) 


Old  Stone  House  near  Free  Bridge.    Supposed  to  have  been  a 

tobacco  warehouse  before  the  Revolutionary  War. 

(See  page  47) 


■i 
It 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  93 

came  from  friends  in  the  way  of  a  contribution.  It  was  at  this 
critical  period  that  the  appeal,  made  but  a  few  days  before,  brought 
to  them  relief  in  the  way  of  money  and  supplies.  The  contribu- 
tions in  money  amounted  to  $164,169.45,  and  the  provisions  were 
ample  to  relieve  the  present  needs.  Thus  the  wants  of  the  destitute 
of  the  town  were  supplied  and  untold  suffering  prevented. 

A  GREAT  REVIVAL  OF  RELIGION. 

From  the  first  of  January  to  the  second  day  of  June,  1862,  Gen- 
eral Barksdale's  brigade,  that  had  guarded  the  banks  of  the  river 
from  the  arrival  of  the  Confederate  army  at  this  point  to  the  great 
battle  of  the  13th  of  December,  was  quartered  in  town  for  picket 
and  provost  guard  duty.  About  the  first  of  April,  1863,  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  and  successful  religious  revivals  took  place  here 
that  was  known  to  that  generation.  The  dangers  and  hardships 
of  war  were  to  yield  for  a  time  for  the  comforts  of  religion.  The 
services  were  commenced  in  the  Presbyterian  church  by  Rev.  Wm. 
B.  Owens,  Dr.  J.  A.  Hackett,  Eev.  E.  McDaniel  and  Rev.  W.  T. 
"West,  chaplains  in  the  brigade,  aided  by  Rev.  John  L.  Pettigrew, 
then  a  private  soldier  in  Company  A,  Thirteenth  Mississippi  regi- 
ment, but  afterwards  appointed  to  a  chaplaincy  in  a  North  Carolina 
regiment.  Mr.  Owens,  a  Methodist  minister,  had  charge  of  the 
services,  and  for  some  reason  the  meetings  were  transferred  from 
the  Presbyterian  church  to  the  Southern  Methodist  church,  then 
standing  on  the  corner  of  Charles  and  George  streets,  where  Mr.  P. 
V.  D.  Conway's  residence  now  stands. 

The  interest  in  the  meetings  deepened,  their  influence  spread  to 
the  adjoining  camps,*  and  the  congregations  became  so  large  that 
they  could  not  find  standing  room  in  the  building.  To  accom- 
modate these  rapidly-increasing  crowds,  Rev.  A.  M.  Randolph,  then 
rector,  tendered  the  use  of  St.  George's  church,  which  was  gladly 
accepted,  and  the  services  were  conducted  there  until  the  close  of 
the  meeting,  in  the  latter  part  of  May.  Before  the  close,  this  re- 
vival attracted  the  attention  of  the  leading  ministers  of  nearly  all 
denominations,  many  of  whom  came  to  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Owens 


•  See  Christ  In  the  Camp,  by  Rev.  J.  Wm.  Jones,  TJ.  D. 


94  History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia 

and  his  co-workers.  Among  those  who  were  at  times  present, 
preached  and  rendered  valuable  assistance,  were  Rev.  J.  C.  Stiles, 
D.  D.,  Rev.  Wm.  J.  Hoge,  D.  D.,  Rev.  James  D.  Coulling,  Rev. 
James  A.  Duncan,  D.  D.,  Rev.  J.  Lansing  Burrows,  D.  D.,  Rev. 
Alfred  E.  Dickinson,  D.  D.,  and  Rev.  W.  H.  Carroll.  During  the 
meeting  more  than  five  hundred  soldiers,  most  of  whom  belonged 
to  Barksdale's  brigade,  were  converted  and  united  with  churches  of 
the  various  Christian  denominations. 

Of  this  wonderful  religious  awakening,  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  J.  Hoge 
wrote  to  the  Southern  Presbyterian  as  follows:  "We  found  our 
soldiers  at  Fredericksburg  all  alive  with  animation.  A  rich  bless- 
ing had  been  poured  upon  the  labors  of  Brother  Owens,  Methodist 
chaplain  in  Barksdale's  brigade.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Burrows,  of  the 
Baptist  church,  Richmond,  had  just  arrived,  expecting  to  labor  with 
him  some  days.  As  I  was  to  stay  but  one  night,  Dr.  Burrows  in- 
sisted on  my  preaching.  So  we  had  a  Presbyterian  sermon,  intro- 
duced by  Baptist  services,  under  the  direction  of  a  Methodist  chap- 
lain, in  an  Episcopal  church !  Was  not  that  a  beautiful  solution  of 
the  vexed  problem  of  Christian  union?" 

Mr.  Owens,  who  worked  so  faithfully  in  the  great  meeting  at 
Fredericksburg,  endeared  himself  to  all  who  had  the  pleasure  of 
attending  the  services.  On  his  return  to  his  Mississippi  home,  at 
the  close  of  the  war,  he  at  once  entered  upon  his  work  as  a  travel- 
ling minister,  and  was  drowned  while  attempting  to  cross  a  swollen 
stream  on  horseback,  endeavoring  to  reach  one  of  his  preaching 
stations. 

GENERAL   JOHN    SEDGWICK   TAKES    THE    TOWN. 

Chancellorsville  campaign. 

In  the  Spring  of  1863,  as  soon  as  the  roads  began  to  dry  off,  the 
armies  were  put  in  readiness  to  move,  preparatory  to  another  great 
battle.  General' Joseph  Hooker,  known  as  "Fighting  Joe  Hooker," 
had  succeded  General  Ambrose  E.  Burnside  in  the  command  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  which  he  claimed  was  the  finest  army  on  the 
planet.  His  desire  was  to  reach  Richmond,  which  his  predecessors, 
General  McDowell,  General  McClellan,  General  Pope  and  General 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  95 

Burnside,  had  failed  to  do.  Accordingly,  about  the  last  of  April, 
detaching  General  John  Sedgwick,  with  twenty-two  thousand 
men,  to  threaten  General  Lee's  rear  at  Fredericksburg,  he  crossed 
his  army  at  the  several  fords  of  the  Eappahannock  river  above  town 
and  concentrated  it  at  Chancellorsville.  His  plan  seems  to  have 
been  to  turn  General  Lee's  right  flank  with  the  forces  under  General 
Sedgwick,  double  back  his  left  flank  with  the  corps  under  General 
Howard,  and  then,  with  the  forces  of  General  Crouch  and  General 
Meade,  make  a  bold  and  desperate  dash  against  the  center,  crush  it 
and  capture  the  entire  army  of  his  adversary.  This  accomplished, 
Eichmond  would  be  an  easy  prey. 

But  while  General  Hooker  was  moving  to  execute  his  plans, 
General  Lee  had  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  in  motion,  and 
when  General  Hooker  reached  Chancellorsville  he  found  to  his  great 
astonishment,  the  Confederate  army  in  his  front  and  prepared  to 
dispute  his  advance.  Skirmishers  were  thrown  out  by  both  armies 
and  soon  the  engagement  of  May  the  2nd  and  3rd  commenced.  On 
the  morning  of  the  2nd  General  Stonewall  Jackson  commenced  his 
famous  flank  movement  that  has  been  the  study  and  wonder  of  mili- 
tary men  of  this  and  other  countries,  which  resulted  in  a  great  dis- 
aster to  the  Federal  army  and  a  great  calamity  to  the  Southern 
cause.  General  Hooker  was  badly  defeated  and  driven  in  haste 
from  the  field,  but  General  Jackson  lay  mortally  wounded.  Of  that 
attack  and  result  we  use  in  substance  the  language  of  General  Lee 
in  his  official  report  of  the  Battle  of  Chancellorsville.*  After  a 
long  and  fatiguing  march,  General  Jackson's  leading  division,  under 
General  Rodes,  reached  old  turnpike,  about  three  miles  in  the  rear 
of  Chancellorsville,  at  four  in  the  afternoon.  As  the  different 
divisions  arrived  they  were  formed  at  right  angles  with  the  road — 
Rodes  in  front,  Trible's  division,  under  Brigadier-General  R.  E. 
Colston,  in  the  second,  and  General  A.  P.  Hill's  in  the  third  line. 

At  six  o'clock  the  advance  was  ordered.  The  enemy  were  taken 
by  surprise  and  fled  after  a  brief  resistance.  General  Rodes's  men 
pushed  forward  with  great  vigor  and  enthusiasm,  followed  closely 
by  the  second  and  third  lines.     Position  after  position  was  carried, 


•  See  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Series  1,  Vol.  25,  Part  1,  page  798. 


96  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

the  guns  captured,  and  every  effort  of  the  enemy  to  rally  defeated 
by  the  impetuous  rush  of  our  troops.  In  the  ardor  of  pursuit 
through  the  thick  and  tangled  woods,  the  first  and  second  lines  at 
last  became  mingled  and  moved  on  together  as  one.  The  enemy 
made  a  stand  at  a  line  of  breastworks  across  the  road  at  the  house 
of  Melzi  Chancellor,  but  the  troops  of  Rodes  and  Colston  dashed 
over  the  entrenchments  together  and  the  flight  and  pursuit  were  re- 
sumed and  continued  until  our  advance  was  arrested  by  the  abatis 
in  front  of  the  line  of  works  near  the  central  position  at  Chancel- 
lorsville. 

It  was  now  dark,  and  General  Jackson  ordered  the  third  line, 
under  General  Hill,  to  advance  to  the  front  and  relieve  the  troops 
of  Rodes  and  Colston,  who  were  completely  blended,  and  in  such 
disorder,  from  their  rapid  advance  through  intricate  woods  and 
over  broken  ground,  that  it  was  necessary  to  reform  them.  As 
General  Hill's  men  moved  forward,  General  Jackson,  with  his  staff 
and  escort,  returning  from  the  extreme  front,  met  his  skirmishers 
advancing,  and  in  the  obscurity  of  the  night  were  taken  for  the 
enemy  and  fired  upon.  Captain  J.  K.  Boswell,  chief  engineer  of 
the  corps  and  several  others  were  killed  and  a  number  wounded. 
General  Jackson  himself  received  a  severe  injury  and  was  borne 
from  the  field.  He  was  taken  to  the  Chandler  house,  at  Guiney's 
station,  in  Caroline  county,  where,  notwithstanding  everything  pos- 
sible was  done  for  him  that  loving  hearts  could  do  or  medical  skill 
could  suggest,  he  died  on  the  9th  of  May.  Amid  the  sorrow  and 
tears  of  the  Southern  people  he  was  laid  to  rest  at  his  home  in 
Lexington,  Virginia. 

General  Jubal  A.  Early  had  been  left  at  Fredericksburg  to  watch 
General  Sedgwick,  and  had  been  instructed,  in  the  event  of  the 
enemy  withdrawing  from  his  front  and  moving  up  the  river,  to 
join  the  main  body  of  the  army.  This  order  was  repeated  on  the 
2nd,  but  by  some  mistake  General  Early  was  directed  to  move  un- 
conditionally. Leaving  Hays's  brigade  and  one  regiment  cf  Barks- 
dale's  at  Fredericksburg,  he  moved  with  the  rest  of  his  command 
towards  Chancellorsville.  As  soon  as  his  withdrawal  was  perceived 
the  enemy  began  to  advance,  and  General  Early  returned  to  his 
original  position. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  97 

The  line  to  be  defended  by  Barksdale's  brigade  extended  from  the 
Rappahannock,  above  Fredericksburg,  to  the  rear  of  Howison's 
house,  a  distance  of  more  than  two  miles.  The  artillery  was  posted 
along  the  heights  in  rear  of  the  town. 

Before  dawn  on  the  morning  of  the  3rd  General  Barksdale  re- 
ported to  General  Early  that  the  enemy  had  occupied  Fredericks- 
burg in  large  force  and  had  bridged  the  Rappahannock  river. 
Hays's  brigade  was  sent  to  his  support,' and  placed  on  his  extreme 
left,  with  the  exception  of  one  regiment,  stationed  on  the  right  of 
his  line  behind  the  Howison  house.  Seven  companies  of  the  Twen- 
ty-first Mississippi  regiment  were  posted  by  General  Barksdale  be- 
tween the  Marye  house  and  the  Plank  road,  the  Eighteenth  and  the 
three  other  companies  of  the  Twenty-first  occupied  the  Telegraph 
road,  behind  the  stone  wall,  at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Hill,  the  two 
remaining  regiments  of  the  brigade  being  farther  to  the  right  on 
the  hills  near  Howison's  house.  The  enemy  made  a  demonstration 
against  the  extreme  right,  which  was  easily  repulsed  by  General 
Early.  Soon  afterward  a  column  moved  from  Fredericksburg 
along  the  river  bank  as  if  to  gain  the  heights  on  the  extreme  left, 
which  commanded  those  immediately  in  rear  of  the  town.  This 
attempt  was  foiled  by  General  Hays  and  the  arrival  of  Gen- 
eral Wilcox  from  Banks's  Ford,  who  deployed  a  few  skirm- 
ishers on  the  hill  near  Dr.  Taylor's  house  and  opened  on  the  enemy 
with  a  section  of  artillery.  Very  soon  the  enemy  advanced  in  large 
force  against  Marye's  Heights  and  the  hills  to  the  right  and  left. 
Two  assaults  were  gallantly  repulsed  by  Barksdale's  men  and  the 
artillery.  After  the  second,  a  flag  of  truce,  it  was  claimed,  was  sent 
from  the  town  to  obtain  permission  to  provide  for  the  wounded, 
which  was  granted. 

At  the  end  of  the  truce  three  heavy  lines  advanced  and  renewed 
the  attack.  They  were  bravely  repulsed  on  the  right  and  left,  but 
the  small  force  at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Hill,  overpowered  by  more 
than  ten  times  their  numbers,  was  captured  after  a  heroic  resistance, 
and  the  Heights  carried.  Eight  pieces  of  artillery  were  taken  on 
Marye's  and  the  adjacent  heights.  The  remainder  of  Barksdale's 
brigade,  together  with  that  of  General  Hays,  and  the  artillery  on  the 
7 


98  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

right,  retired  down  the  Telegraph  road.  The  success  of  the  enemy 
enabled  him  to  threaten  Gen.  Lee's  communications  by  moving  down 
the  telegraph  road,  or  gain  his  rear  at  Chancellorsville  by  the  Plank 
road.  He  at  first  advanced  on  the  Telegraph  road,  but  was  checked 
by  General  Early,  who  had  halted  the  brigades  of  Barksdale  and 
Hays  with  the  artillery,  about  two  miles  from  Marye's  Hill,  and  re- 
enforced  them  with  three  regiments  of  General  John  B.  Gordon's 
brigade.  The  enemy  then  began  to  advance  up  the  Plank  road,  his 
progress  being  gallantly  disputed  by  the  brigade  of  General  Cadmus 
M.  Wilcox,  who  had  moved  from  Banks's  Ford  as  rapidly  as  possi- 
ble to  the  assistance  of  General  Barksdale,  but  arrived  too  late  to 
take  part  in  the  action.  General  "Wilcox  fell  back  slowly  until  he 
reached  Salem  church,  on  the  Plank  road,  about  four  miles  from 
Fredericksburg. 

Information  of  the  state  of  affairs  in  our  rear  having  reached 
Chancellorsville,  General  McLaws,  with  his  three  brigades  and  one 
of  General  Anderson's,  was  ordered  to  reinforce  General  Wilcox. 
He  arrived  at  Salem  church  early  in  the  afternoon,  where  he  found 
General  Wilcox  in  line  of  battle,  with  a  large  force  of  the  enemy — 
consisting,  as  was  reported,  of  one  army  corps  and  part  of  another, 
under  Major-General  Sedgwick — in  his  front.  The  brigades  of 
General  Kershaw  and  General  Wofford  were  placed  on  the  right  of 
General  Wilcox  and  those  of  Semmes  and  Mahone  on  the  left.  The 
enemy's  artillery  played  vigorously  upon  our  position  for  some  time, 
when  his  infantry  advanced  in  three  strong  lines,  the  attack  being 
directed  mainly  against  General  Wilcox,  but  partially  involving  the 
brigades  on  his  left. 

The  assault  was  met  with  the  utmost  firmness,  and  after  a  fierce 
struggle  the  first  line  was  repulsed  with  great  slaughter.  The 
second  then  came  forward,  but  immediately  broke  under  the  close 
and  deadly  fire  which  it  encountered,  and  the  whole  mass  fled  in 
confusion  to  the  rear.  They  were  pursued  by  the  brigades  of  Gen- 
eral Wilcox  and  General  Semmes,  in  the  direction  of  Banks's  Ford, 
where  the  enemy  crossed  to  the  Stafford  side  of  the  river. 

The  next  morning  General  Early  advanced  along  the  Telegraph 
road  and  recaptured  Marye's  Heights  and  the  adjacent  hills  without 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  99 

difficulty.  General  Barksdale's  brigade  entered  the  town,  to  find 
the  enemy  gone,  with  the  exception  of  some  stragglers  who  had 
secreted  themselves  in  cellars  and  elsewhere  about  town.  These 
were  captured  and  sent  to  the  rear,  and  the  brigade  took  up  its 
former  quarters  in  the  town,  where  it  remained  until  the  first  of 
June. 

After  some  four  weeks  of  rest  and  reorganization  the  army  was 
again  put  in  motion,  the  object  of  Gen.  Lee  being  the  invasion  of 
Pennsylvania.  After  the  removal  of  the  army  Fredericksburg  was 
left  practically  without  any  armed  troops,  and  soon  relapsed  into 
her  usual  quiet,  so  characteristic  of  the  place.  This  condition  of 
things  existed  until  the  return  of  the  army  from  its  invasion  in  the 
Fall,  when  the  town  was  occasionally  visited  by  scouting  cavalry 
from  the  Confederate  army,  the  main  body  of  the  troops  camping 
west  of  Fredericksburg. 

GEN.  GRANT'S  ARMY  IN  POSSESSION. 

The  Wilderness  Campaign. 

With  the  opening  of  the  Spring  of  1864,  was  inaugurated  the 
most  active  and  bloody  campaign  of  the  war  in  Virginia.  This 
battle  embraces  those  of  Mine  Eun,  the  Wilderness,  Todd's  Tavern, 
the  Po,  the  Ny  and  those  around  Spotsylvania  Courthouse,  in  which 
botb  armies,  the  Confederate,  under  General  Eobert  E.  Lee,  and  the 
Federal,  under  General  Ulysses  S.  Grant,  lost  heavily.  Many 
thousands  of  the  wounded  Federals  were  sent  in  ambulances  and 
wagons  to  Fredericksburg,  where  hospitals  were  established,  under 
the  charge  of  United  States  surgeons.  Every  house  in  the  town 
that  was  at  all  available  was  converted  into  a  hospital.  Eesidences, 
stores,  churches  and  lodge  rooms  were  all  occupied  by  the  wounded 
and  the  surgeons  were  kept  busy  day  and  night.  As  fast  as  the 
wounded  could  be  moved  they  were  sent  north,  and  others  were 
brought  from  the  battle-fields.  This  was  kept  up  from  the  time  the 
battles  commenced,  on  the  4th  of  May,  until  they  closed,  on  the 
20th  of  May,  the  first  batch  reaching  town  with  their  authorized 
attendants  on  the  9th  of  May. 

On  Sunday,  the  8th,  a  small  body  of  Federal  troops,  numbering 


100  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

about  sixty,  most  of  them  slightly  wounded,  came  into  town.  They 
were  armed,  and  the  citizens  demanded  their  surrender  as  prisoners 
of  war.  This  demand  was  acceded  to  and  they  were  delivered 
over  to  the  Confederate  military  authorities  at  the  nearest  post, 
from  which  they  were  sent  to  Richmond.  This  action  of  the  citi- 
zens was  regarded  by  the  Federal  authorities  as  a  violation  of  law, 
and  the  arrest  of  an  equal  number  of  citizens  was  ordered  by  the 
Federals,  that  they  might  be  held  as  hostages  until  these  Union 
soldiers  were  released  and  returned. 

This  order  caused  great  consternation  in  town.  N"o  one  could 
foretell  the  fate  of  those  arrested  and  the  worst  for  them  was  feared. 
Many  of  the  male  citizens  sought  hiding  places,  but  quite  a  number 
made  no  effort  to  escape  or  elude  the  officers,  as  they  did  not  con- 
sider they  had  done  any  wrong — certainly  no  intentional  wrong — 
and  they  were  willing  to  abide  the  consequences  until  an  impartial 
investigation  was  made,  when  they  believed  they  would  be  exon- 
erated from  any  crime.  In  the  execution  of  this  order,  sixty-two 
citizens  were  arrested  and  carried  to  Washington,  ten  of  whom  were 
there  liberated  and  the  remaining  fifty-two  were  sent  to  Fort  Dela- 
ware. Afterwards  five  other  citizens  were  arrested  and  sent  to  the 
same  prison. 

The  families  of  these  citizens  were  almost  frantic  at  being  thus 
deprived  of  their  protectors,  while  the  town  was  overrun  by  Federal 
soldiers,  many  of  them  stragglers,  without  any  one  to  restrain  them, 
and  others  brought  here  from  the  Wilderness  and  other  battle-fields, 
wounded  and  dying,  their  groans  and  shrieks  filling  the  air.  No 
one  can  imagine  the  distressing  scenes  enacted  in  town  about  this 
time  who  did  not  witness  them,  or  form  any  conception  of  the  terri- 
ble ordeal  through  which  these  helpless  families  passed  save  those 
who  shared  their  privations  and  sufferings. 

The  town  had  been  the  scene  of  a  bombardment  unparalleled; 
two  fearful  battles  had  been  fought  here,  with  their  accompanying 
destruction  of  property  and  consumption  of  food  and  family  sup- 
plies; the  town  had  been  in  possession  of  both  armies  at  different 
times;  therefore  these  families  were  destitute  of  food  and  the 
comforts  of  life,  and  now  comes  the  order  for  the  arrest  and  impris- 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  101 

onment  of  those  whom  God  had  given  them  to  protect  and  provide 
for  them.  Notwithstanding  the  intense  excitement  of  the  people 
of  the  town,  and  the  sufferings  and  entreaties  of  the  bereaved  ones, 
it  was  thought  prudent  to  defer  public  action  until  further  d&- 
velopments,  in  the  hope  that  the  prisoners  would  be  released  and 
allowed  to  return  to  their  homes. 

Having  impatiently  awaited  the  release  of  the  prisoners,  and  their 
hopes  not  being  realized,  on  the  31st  of  May  a  meeting  of  the  Com- 
mon Council  was  called,  and  upon  assembling  the  Mayor  informed 
the  body  that  the  object  of  the  meeting  was  to  take  some  steps  for 
the  relief  of  those  citizens  who  had  been  arrested  and  who  were  then 
suffering  in  prison  at  Fort  Delaware.  A  paper  was  submitted  by 
Mr.  Wm.  A.  Little,  which  was  unanimously  adopted,  looking  to 
their  release.  As  the  paper  contains  the  views  of  the  citizens  of 
Fredericksburg,  with  reference  to  the  arrest  of  the  Federal  soldiers, 
and  also  the  names  of  the  citizens  arrested,  it  is  here  copied  in  full,, 
as  follows: 

Fredericksburg,  Vav  May  31st,  1864. 

To  the  Honorable  James  A.  Seddon, 

Secretary  of  War  of  the  Confederate  States, 
Richmond,  Virginia. 

At  a  meeting  of  the  Mayor  and  Common  Council  of  Fredericks- 
burg, Virginia,  held  this  31st  of  May,  1864,  a  committee  of  two 
citizens,  to  wit:  Montgomery  Slaughter  and  John  F.  Scott,  were 
appointed  to  repair  to  Eichmond  and  present  to  you  the  following 
statement  and  application. 

Statement. 

On  Sunday,  the  8th  instant,  a  number  of  slightly-wounded  and 
straggling  Federal  soldiers,  who  entered  the  town,  many  of  them 
with  arms  in  their  hands,  and  with  the  capacity  and  intention,  we 
feared,  of  doing  mischief  in  the  way  of  pillage  and  injury  to  our 
people,  who  were  unprotected  by  any  military  force,  were  arrested 
by  order  of  our  municipal  authorities  and  forwarded  to  the  nearest 
military  post  as  prisoners  of  war,  under  the  guard  of  citizens.  These 


102  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

prisoners  amounted  to  about  sixty  men,  of  whom  but  few  are  said 
to  have  been  slightly  wounded.  In  retaliation  of  this  act,  the  pro- 
vost marshal,  under  orders  from  the  Secretary  of  War  at  Washing- 
ton, arrested  on  the  20th  instant  some  sixty  of  our  citizens  and  for- 
warded them  to  Washington,  to  be  held  as  hostages  for  said  pris- 
oners. Ten  of  the  citizens  were  afterwards  released  in  Washing- 
ton, and  have  returned  to  their  homes,  leaving  some  fifty-one 
citizens  still  in  confinement,  who  have  been  sent  to  the  military 
prison  at  Fort  Delaware. 

In  behalf  of  these  unfortunate  people,  who  are  thus  made  to 
suffer  so  seriously,  and  for  their  suffering  families  who  are  thus  left 
without  their  natural  protectors,  and  many  of  them  without  their 
means  of  support,  we  appeal  to  you  to  take  such  steps  as  may  be 
proper  and  in  accordance  with  military  regulations  to  return  the 
said  prisoners  to  the  Federal  authorities  and  thus  secure  the  release 
of  our  citizens.  Surely  the  matter  of  a  few  prisoners  cannot  be 
allowed  to  interfere  with  the  humane  and  generous  work  of  restor- 
ing to  these  desolated  homes,  and  these  mourning  women  and 
children,  the  only  source  of  comfort  which  the  fate  of  war  has  left 
them  in  this  war-ravaged  and  desolated  town,  the  presence  of  those 
loved  ones  who  are  separated  from  them  and  imprisoned  at  Fort 
Delaware.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  citizens  arrested  and  car- 
ried to  Washington  as  aforesaid : 

James  H.  Bradley,  Thomas  F.  Knox,  James  McGuire,  Councellor 
Cole,  Michael  Ames,  John  G.  Hurkamp,  John  J.  Chew,  George  H. 
Peyton,  Wm.  H.  Thomas,  John  D.  Elder,  who  were  released  at 
Washington. 

F.  B.  Chewning,  E.  B.  Rennolds,  James  B.  Marye,  George  Aler, 
Charles  Mander,*  Benjamin  F.  Currell,  John  L.  Knight,  Wm.  C. 
Smith,  Joseph  W.  Sener,  E.  W.  Stephens,  Charles  Cash,  Charles  B. 
Waite,  Charles  G.  Waite,  Jr.,  George  W.  Wroten,*  Thomas  New- 
ton, Robert  H.  Alexander,  Robert  Smith,  Lucien  Love,  George  F. 
Sacrey,  Henry  M.  Towles,  Landon  J.  Huffman,  Lewis  Moore,  John 
T.  Evans,  Walter  Bradshaw,  Samuel  D.  Curtis,  Lewis  Wrenn,  Wm. 
White,  John  Solan,  George  W.  Eve,  James  Mazeen,  Abraham  Cox, 

•  Still  living. 


Birthplace  of  Hon.  John  Forsythe,  the  brilliant  Georgia  Statesman. 

(See  page  154) 


The  "Sentry  Box,"  the  home  of  Gen.  Hugh  Mercer;  now  the  resi- 
dence of  O.  D.  Foster,  Esq. 
(See  page  150) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  103 

Wm.  Brannan,  James  A.  Turner,  A.  E.  Samuel,  Tandy  Williams, 
Robert  S.  Parker,  Christopher  Eeintz,  Thomas  F.  Coleman,  Patrick 
McDonnell,  Charles  Williams,  Wm.  Cox,  Walter  M.  Mills,  Thomas 
S.  Thornton,  John  Joyce,*  John  Miner,  Richard  Hudson,  Wm.  B. 
Webb,  Alexander  Armstrong,  Wm.  Wiltshire,  Gabriel  Johnston, 
George  Mullin,  William  Burke. 

The  following  citizens  were  arrested  subsequently  and  are  still 
held  by  the  Federal  authorities:  Wm.  Lange,  Thomas  Manuell, 
Joseph  Hall,  Wm.  W.  Jones,  Wyatt  Johnson. 

The  committee  appointed  by  the  Council  proceeded  to  Richmond 
and  laid  the  matter  before  the  Secretary  of  War,  and,  on  their  re- 
turn home,  reported  to  the  Council  in  writing.  This  report  was 
filed,  but  was  not  entered  upon  the  records  of  the  Council,,  and, 
from  indications  as  shown  by  subsequent  entries  in  the  Council 
proceedings,  the  committee  appointed  Mr.  George  H.  C.  Rowe  to 
visit  Washington,  interview  the  Federal  authorities  and  ascertain 
what  could  be  done.  Some  of  the  members  of  the  Council  claimed 
that  this  action  of  the  committee  was  without  authority,  as  the 
appointment  should  have  been  made  by  the  Council  itself  and  not 
by  the  committee  of  the  Council.  This  claim  was,  no  doubt,  well 
founded,  and  the  action  of  the  committee  may  have  been  a  stretch 
of  its  authority,  but  their  great  anxiety  to  have  these  gentlemen 
released  from  prison  and  have  them  restored  to  their  families  and 
friends,  was  a  sufficient  explanation  and  apology,  if  such  had  been 
needed,  for  their  action,  independent  of  the  Council.  And  further- 
more, the  propriety  of,  and  authority  for,  this  action  of  the  com- 
mittee may  be  explained,  if  not  justified,  by  the  fact  that  one  of 
the  committeemen  was  the  Mayor  and  executive  officer  of  the  town 
and  the  other  one  was  a  leading  member  of  the  Common  Council. 

But  be  that  as  it  may,  Mr.  Rowe  proceeded  to  Washington,  and 
on  his  return,  on  the  20th  of  June,  made  a  report  of  his  visit  to  the 
Council,  stating  that  he  was  well  received  by  the  Federal  authorities 


•An  amusing  Incident  is  told  of  Mr.  Joyce  when  he  was  arrested.  He  is  a 
native  of  Ireland,  as  every  one  will  reaaiiy  perceive  when  he  hears  him 
speak.  When  arrested  he  was  asked  in  a  brusque  tone  by  the  officer — "Where 
are  you  from?"  He  replied  instantly:  "Be  Jasus,  oim  a  Virginnyan,  and  niver 
denoi  the  place  of  moi  netivity." 


104  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

and  was  assured  by  the  Secretary  of  War  that  the  exchange  could  be 
effected.  Mr.  Rowe  further  stated  that  the  proposition  made  by 
the  Secretary  of  War  was  that  the  Federal  prisoners  should  be  re- 
leased and  placed  in  his  care,  and  he  be  permitted  to  take  them 
through  their  lines  with  the  assurance  that  the  citizen  prisoners 
would  be  turned  over  to  him.  Mr.  Rowe  concluded  his  report  as 
follows  :* 

''This  proposition,  it  seems  to  me,  obviates  all  difficulties  of 
misconstruction,  and  I  will  undertake  the  delivery  and  receipt  of 
the  prisoners  at  Alexandria.  It  is  proper  to  state  that  in  1862, 
I  undertook  and  executed,  a  similar  Commission  of  exchange  of 
citizens  Captured,  with  success,  and  thorough  satisfaction  to  our 
Government,  f  and  I  am  sure  with  its  assent  and  cooperation  as 
proposed,  I  will  now  reap  a  similar  result." 

Upon  the  reception  of  this  report  by  the  Council  Mayor  Slaugh- 
ter and  Mr.  Eowe  were  appointed  a  commission  to  visit  Richmond 
and  secure  the  release  of  the  Federal  prisoners,  and,  when  so  re- 
leased, the  commission  was  authorized  to  do  what  might  be  neces- 
sary to  effect  the  final  exchange.  On  their  arrival  in  Richmond 
they  called  on  the  Confederate  authorities  and  stated  the  terms  of 
agreement,  and  through  their  solicitation  the  following  order  was 
issued  by  Colonel  Robert  Ould,  the  Confederate  commissioner  of 
exchange  of  prisoners : 

"Richmond,  Va.,  June  23rd,  1804. 

Brigadier  General  M.  M.  Gardner — Sir:  I  will  thank  you  to 
deliver  to  M.  Slaughter,  Mayor  of  Fredericksburg,  fifty-six  Federal 
Soldiers  (privates)  who  are  to  be  exchanged  for  an  equal  number 
of  our  people,  captured  in  Fredericksburg.  I  will  thank  you  also 
to  furnish  M.  Slaughter  the  necessary  guard,  &c,  for  their  trans- 
portation to  Fredericksburg.  Please  send  two  or  three  surgeons 
with  the  party. 

Resp'y  yr  Obt.  Sert., 

R.  Ould,  Agt." 


*  See  Council  proceedings,  June  20,  1864. 

f  That  record  not  found.     Mr.  Rowe  must  have  assisted  Rev.  Wm.  F.  Broad- 
dus,  D.  D.,  In  the  release  of  the  nineteen  citizen  prisoners. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  105 

The  issuance  of  this  order,  with  the  previous  assurance  of  the 
Federal  authorities,  encouraged  and  rejoiced  the  hearts  of  all  inter- 
ested parties.  The  mourning  changed  to  rejoicing,  and  nothing 
now  remained  to  complete  the  joy  but  the  presence  of  the  loved 
ones,  who  yet  lingered  in  prison.  An  order  was  at  once  issued  by 
the  Common  Council  authorizing  Mr.  Slaughter  and  Mr.  Rowe  to 
procure  all  the  necessary  transportation  and  make  proper  arrange- 
ments for  the  exchange  and  effect  the  release  of  the  imprisoned  citi- 
zens as  speedily  as  possible.  From  the  final  report,  made  on  the 
subject,  it  appears  that  the  whole  matter  of  making  the  exchange  of 
prisoners  was  turned  over  to  Mr.  Bowe.  On  his  return  from  Wash- 
ington he  reported  the  transactions  in  full  to  the  Council,  on 
the  8th  of  July,  in  the  following  words  :* 

"I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  I  reached  the  military  lines 
of  the  United  States  in  safety  with  the  fifty-six  prisoners  of  war 
and  four  civil  officers  of  the  so-called  State  of  West  Virginia,  com- 
mitted to  my  charge  by  the  corporation  authorities,  to  be  exchanged 
for  the  captive  citizens  of  Fredericksburg.  After  some  difficulty 
in  obtaining  personal  access  to  the  authorities  at  Washington,  and 
several  days'  discussion  there,  I  succeeded  in  closing  a  negotiation 
that  the  Federal  prisoners  delivered  by  me  should  be  released  from 
their  paroles  simultaneously  with  the  delivery  of  fifty-three  captive 
citizens  of  Fredericksburg,  and  seven  Confederate  prisoners  of  war, 
on  board  of  a  flag  of  truce  steamer,  with  transportation  to  Split 
Rock,  on  the  Potomac  river. 

"In  execution  of  this  obligation  the  Federal  authorities  delivered 
to  me,  on  board  the  Steamer  Weycomoke,  whence  they  were  landed 
at  Split  Rock  on  yesterday,  forty-nine  citizens  and  two  prisoners  of 
war,  according  to  the  roll  which  accompanies  this  report,  marked 
A.f  The  four  citizens  and  five  prisoners  of  war  still  due,  I  have  solid 
assurances  will  be  forwarded  by  the  same  route  at  an  early  day." 

At  the  conclusion  of  Mr.  Rowe's  report,  on  motion  made  by  Mr. 
John  James  Young,  the  Council  unanimously  adopted  the  follow- 
ing resolution: 

"That  the  thanks  of  this  body  be  tendered  to  Mr.  Rowe  for  the 


*  From  Council  proceedings  of  July  8.  1864. 
f  Not  found  In  the  Council  proceedings. 


106  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

energetic  and  efficient  manner  in  which  he  has  effected  the  exchange 
of  Federal  prisoners  for  our  captive  citizens." 

Having  been  set  at  liberty  at  Split  Rock,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Potomac  river,  the  march  to  Fredericksburg  was  soon  commenced. 
Some  few  of  the  party,  and  especially  the  sick,  were  fortunate 
enough  to  have  carriages  sent  for  them,  some  got  seats  in  wagons, 
but  a  large  majority  of  them  made  the  journey  on  foot,  and  were 
delighted  at  the  privilege  of  doing  so.  The  distance  is  about  twelve 
miles.  It  is  unnecessary  to  attempt  (for  we  could  not  if  we  did)  to 
describe  the  scene  upon  the  arrival  of  these  unfortunate  ones  to 
their  homes  and  families.  It  is  sufficient  to  say  they  reached  home 
in  safety  amidst  the  shouts  of  welcome  and  the  rejoicing  of  the 
inhabitants  of  the  town,  the  returned  prisoners  joining  in  the  re- 
frain, bearing  testimony  to  the  truth  of  Payne's  declaration, 
"There's  no  place  like  home." 

The  small  batch  of  wounded  and  straggling  Federal  soldiers,  who 
were  arrested  by  the  citizens  on  the  8th  of  May,  was  followed  next 
day  and  the  succeeding  days,  until  there  were  in  the  different  im- 
provised hospitals  in  town  about  fifteen  thousand  sick  and  wounded 
soldiers.  They  were  attended  by  a  large  body  of  surgeons  and  as- 
sistants of  every  kind,  including  nurses.  The  native  population  of 
the  town  at  this  time  was  small,  and  consisted  entirely  of  women, 
children  and  elderly  men.  Even  the  colored  population  had  be- 
come very  much  reduced. 

The  sudden  increase  of  the  population  by  the  advent  of  this 
large  number  of  sick  and  wounded  soldiers,  and  their  numerous 
attendants,  caused  great  suffering  and  distress,  and  during  this 
occupation  by  the  wounded,  the  suffering,  disease  and  sorrow  en- 
dured by  the  people  of  Fredericksburg  were  greater  than  any  that 
had  previously  visited  them.  But  notwithstanding  this,  and  not- 
withstanding the  harsh  and  cruel  treatment  they  received  at  the 
hands  of  General  Pope  and  his  subordinates,  truth  demands  the 
record  and  admission  that  these  scenes  of  horror  were  greatly 
mitigated  by  many  acts  of  courtesy  and  considerate  aid  on  the  part 
of  the  Federal  officers  stationed  here,  which  even  now  are  kindly 
remembered  and  spoken  of  by  many  of  our  citizens  who  were  par- 
ticipants in  the  scenes  referred  to  above. 


CHAPTEE  VIII 

The  Armies  Transferred  to  Richmond  and  Petersburg — Gen.  Lee's 
surrender — Citizens  Return  Home — Action  of  the  Council — 
Fredericksburg  Again  Under  the  Old  Flag — The  Assassina- 
tion of  President  Lincoln  Denounced  and  Deplored — Recon- 
struction Commenced — An  Election  Set  Aside — The  Iron- 
Clad  Oath — All  Offices  Vacated  and  Strangers  Appointed — 
The  Financial  Condition  of  the  Town — The  Town  Again  in 
the  Hands  of  its  Citizens — Splendid  Financial  Showing,  &c. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  battles  around  Spotsylvania,  during 
which  time  Fredericksburg  was  the  base  of  supplies  for  the  Federal 
army,  the  two  armies  moved  south  and  the  scenes  of  war  were  trans- 
ferred from  Fredericksburg  to  Richmond  and  Petersburg.  From 
the  time  the  main  armies  moved  south  to  the  close  of  the  war 
Fredericksburg  was  first  in  the  Federal  lines  and  then  in  the  Con- 
federate lines.  After  the  base  of  supplies  for  the  Union  army  was 
moved  from  Fredericksburg  to  City  Point  about  the  only  troops 
that  visited  the  town  were  scouting  or  raiding  parties,  and  be  it 
said  to  their  credit  very  little  damage  to  property  was  done  by  them. 
Communication  was  kept  up  all  the  time  with  Richmond  and  the 
citizens  were  not  without  hope  that  the  Federal  army  would  be 
driven  back  and  the  scenes  of  war  transferred  to  other  parts.  But 
these  hopes  were  delusive.  General  Grant  was  constantly  receiving 
reinforcements,  until  he  had  over  200,000  men,  by  which  he  was 
enabled  to  extend  his  lines,  while  General  Lee's  small  army,  not  ex- 
ceeding 45,000  men,  was  becoming  smaller  and  his  lines  of  battle 
thinner  by  reason  of  casualties,  resulting  from  daily  engagements 
with  the  enemy.  In  consequence  of  this  he  was  unable  to  hold  his 
long  lines  against  the  vigorous  attacks  of  General  Grant. 

About  the  first  of  April  General  Lee  suffered  several  reverses  on 
his  extreme  right,  which  resulted  in  turning  his  right  flank  on  the 
2nd  of  April.  On  the  morning  of  the  3rd  he  commenced  the  eva- 
cuation of  Richmond,  abandoned  his  entire  line  in  front  of  Peters- 
burg and  retreated  in  the  direction  of  Danville.  The  overwhelm- 
ing numbers  of  Grant  against  him  made  his  retreat  very  difficult 

[  107  ] 


108  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

and  enabled  the  Federals  to  harass  him  on  every  side.  When  Gen- 
eral Lee  reached  Burkeville  he  found  the  Federals  between  him  and 
Danville,  his  objective  point,  and  it  became  necessary  for  him  to 
change  the  direction  of  his  column.  There  was  but  one  way  open 
for  him  and  that  was  the  road  to  Lynchburg.  But  this  road  was 
soon  closed.  At  the  battle  of  Sailors'  Creek,  near  Farmville,  on 
the  6th  of  April,  the  Confederates  lost  over  six  thousand  men  and 
several  general  officers.  From  the  result  of  this  engagement  it  was 
plainly  seen  that  the  end  had  come.  By  fighting  in  the  day  and 
marching  at  night  General  Lee  reached  Appomattox  Courthouse  on 
the  9th,  with  what  few  soldiers  he  had  left,  broken  down  from  hun- 
ger and  marching,  his  horses  jaded  and  unable  to  do  their  work, 
and  his  artillery  and  wagon  trains  were  falling  an  easy  prey  to  the 
pursuing  army.  Although  the  men's  courage  never  failed  them,  in 
the  condition  in  which  Gen.  Lee  found  himself,  there  was  nothing 
to  do  but  to  surrender.  General  Grant  had  already  communicated 
with  him  and  demanded  his  surrender,  upon  the  ground  that  he 
could  not  longer  resist,  but  he  had  not  felt  a  willingness  to  yield 
until  the  morning  of  the  9th. 

On  that  eventful  morning  General  Lee  opened  communication 
with  General  Grant  and  invited  a  conference,  to  discuss  the  terms 
of  surrender.  They  met,  it  is  said,  under  an  apple  tree  and  ad- 
journed to  the  residence  of  Mr.  Wilmer  McLane,*  where  the  terms 
were  agreed  upon,  written  out  and  signed.  It  was  from  this  build- 
ing that  General  Lee  mounted  old  Traveller,!  to  return  to  his  lines 
to  announce  the  sad  news  to  the  remaining  remnant  of  his  once 


*  Mr.  McLane's  residence  was  in  the  midst  of  the  first  battle  between  the  two 
great  armies,  and,  strange  to  say,  it  was  in  the  midst  of  the  last  and  that  the 
terms  of  surrender  were  written  and  signed  in  his  residence.  When  the  war 
broke  out  Mr.  McLane  was  living  in  Prince  William  county,  and  at  the  first 
battle  of  Manassas  his  residence  was  in  the  thickest  of  the  fight.  He  after- 
wards moved  to  Appomattox  county  to  get  out  of  the  reach  of  the  war.  During 
the  last  engagement  of  the  two  armies  his  residence  was  between  the  lines,  and 
when  General  Lee  and  General  Grant  met  they  asked  for  a  room  in  the  house. 
which  was  furnished  them,  and  there  the  terms  of  surrender  were  written  and 
signed. 

f  Traveller  was  General  Lee's  war  horse.  Every  soldier  in  the  army  knew 
him.  At  the  death  of  this  faithful  old  horse,  that  had  carried  General  Lee 
through  the  war,  he  was  turned  over  to  the  taxidermist,  who  prepared  and 
mounted  him.  He  is  now  at  the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Richmond,  looking  as 
natural  and  life-like  as  when  he  bore  the  Confederate  Chieftain  into  battle,  or 
when  he  moved  in  General  Lee's  funeral  procession,  fully  equipped  for  the 
march,  but  without  his  accustomed  rider. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  109 

magnificent  army.  General  Hooker  declared  the  army  of  the 
Potomac,  prior  to  his  move  to  Chancellorsville,  "the  grandest  army 
on  the  planet,"  but  more  than  one  of  the  Federal  generals  of  high 
rank,  who  served  in  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  have  since  the  war 
declared  "that  for  sacrifice,  suffering  and  for  fighting  qualities  the 
world  could  not  surpass  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia/' 

The  terms  of  the  surrender  were  liberal,  even  generous,  and  bore 
testimony  to  the  affectionate  consideration  General  Lee  had  for  his 
men  and  the  magnanimity  of  General  Grant  to  those  who  had 
surrendered  their  arms.  It  was  agreed  that  the  officers  were  to  give 
their  individual  paroles  not  to  take  up  arms  against  the  Govern- 
ment of  the  United  States  until  properly  exchanged,  and  each  com- 
pany or  regimental  commander  was  to  sign  a  similar  parole  for 
their  men.  The  arms,  artillery  and  public  property  were  to  be 
stacked  and  packed  and  turned  over  to  a  United  States  officer. 
The  officers  and  men  were  allowed  to  take  their  side  arms,  private 
horses  and  baggage  and  return  to  their  homes  unmolested  and  so 
remain  as  long  as  they  observed  their  paroles.  In  addition  to  this, 
at  the  suggestion  of  General  Lee,  General  Grant  furnished  the 
Confederate  army  with  rations,  which  they  had  been  without  for 
several  days.  It  is  said  that  when  it  became  known  by  the  ad- 
vanced lines  of  the  Federal  troops  and  those  of  the  Confederate 
army  that  the  terms  of  surrender  had  been  signed  and  peace  was  at 
hand,  their  long  pent-up  feelings  gave  way  in  the  loudest  tumult  of 
rejoicing. 

There  was  no  demand  made  by  General  Grant  for  the  surrender 
of  General  Lee's  sword,  and  there  was  no  offer  of  the  surrender  of 
his  sword  on  the  part  of  General  Lee.  The  officers  were  to  retain 
their  side  arms  which  included  the  sword.  "The  number  of  men 
paroled  was  about  twent}r-six  thousand,  of  whom  not  more  than 
nine  thousand  had  arms  in  their  hands.  About  sixteen  thousand 
small  arms  were  surrendered,  one  hundred  and  fifty  cannon,  seven- 
ty-one colors,  eleven  hundred  wagons  and  caissons  and  four  thous- 
and horses  and  mules.  The  Confederate  troops,  immediately  upon 
receiving  their  paroles,  separated  and  returned  to  their  homes."* 


*  Bine  and  Gray. 


110  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

The  scene  of  separation  of  soldiers  and  commanders,  who  had 
served  nearly  four  years  together,  and  who  were  linked  together 
by  the  strongest  bonds  of  comradeship,  not  to  say  of  genuine  affec- 
tion, was  the  saddest  and  most  trying  that  had  ever  occurred  in  the 
past  history  of  the  army.  Farewells,  amid  tears  and  audible  sob- 
bing of  the  brave,  rough  soldiers,  were  exchanged  and  they  parted, 
never  to  meet  as  soldiers,  in  arms  again !  Before  leaving  for  home, 
however,  and  as  the  last  act  of  the  closing  drama,  and  the  last  act 
of  General  Lee  as  the  Uommander  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Vir- 
ginia, the  day  following  the  surrender  he  issued  a  farewell  address.* 
The  address  was  printed  on  slips  of  paper  and  distributed  to  the 
soldiers,  who  felt  unwilling  to  leave  for  their  homes  until  they  re- 
ceived the  parting  blessing  and  loving  benediction  of  their  idolized 
commander. 

FREDERICKSBURG   AGAIN   UNDER    THE   STARS   AND   STRIPES. 

The  first  news  of  General  Lee's  surrender  received  at  Fredericks- 
burg came  from  soldiers  returning  to  their  desolated  homes,  and 
with  the  sad  tidings  came  also  the  feeling  that  the  fate  of  the 
Confederacy  was  sealed.  The  population  of  Fredericksburg  at  this 
time  had  been  increased  by  the  presence  of  strangers  and  adven- 


*  GENERAL  LEE'S   FAREWELL  ADDRESS. 

Headquarters  Army  Northern  Virginia, 

Appomattox  Courthouse,  April  10,  1865. 

General  Orders,  No.  9. — After  four  years  of  arduous  service,  marked  by 
unsurpassed  courage  and  fortitude,  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia  has  been 
compelled  to  yield  to  overwhelming  numbers. 

I  need  not  tell  the  brave  survivors  of  so  many  hard  fought  battle- 
fields, who  have  remained  steadfast  to  the  last,  that  I  have  consented  to  this 
result  from  no  distrust  of  them,  but  feeling  that  valor  and  devotion  could 
accomplish  nothing  to  compensate  for  the  loss  that  must  have  attended  a  con- 
tinuation of  the  contest,  I  determined  to  avoid  the  useless  sacrifice  of  those 
whose  past  services  have  endeared  them  to  their  countrymen. 

By  the  terms  of  agreement,  officers  and  men  can  return  to  their  homes  and 
remain  until  exchanged.  You  will  take  with  you  the  satisfaction  that  proceeds 
from  the  consciousness  of  duty  faithfully  performed,  and  I  earnestly  pray  that 
a  merciful  God  will  extend  to  you  his  blessing  and  protection.  With  an  un- 
ceasing admiration  of  your  constancy  and  devotion  to  your  country,  and  a 
grateful  remembrance  of  your  kind  and  generous  consideration  of  myself,  I  bid 
you  all  an  affectionate  farewell. 

R.  E.  Lee,   General. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  111 

turers.  The  trade  of  the  town  was  conducted,  to  a  considerable 
extent,  by  those  who  were  not  permanent  residents  of  the  town,  and 
there  was  but  little  population,  business  or  general  appearance  to 
remind  one  of  the  Fredericksburg  of  other  days. 

But  what  a  change  in  other  respects  had  come  over  the  town  as  to 
its  character  and  condition !  For  four  years  it  had  been  a  part  of 
the  Southern  Confederacy,  and  its  devotion  to  the  Southern  cause 
had  been  demonstrated  time  and  again  by  its  sacrifices,  sufferings 
for  and  contributions  to  that  cause.  Now  the  collapse  of  the  Con- 
federacy had  come  and  the  town  was  again  a  part  of  the  United 
States  and  subject  to  its  laws.  The  question  was  what  shall  be 
done  to  place  the  town  in  its  proper  position,  and  who  shall  take 
that  action  ?     That  was  the  question. 

After  a  conference  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town  it  was 
decided  that  the  Council  was  the  only  body  that  could  represent  the 
people,  and  that  it  should  be  convened  to  take  such  steps  as  might 
be  suggested  by  the  proper  authorities.  This  step  was  deferred, 
however,  until  the  27th  of  April,  when  it  was  known  the  Confed- 
erate government  had  ceased  to  exist,  on  which  day  the  Council  was 
convened,  the  following  members  being  present:  M.  Slaughter, 
Mayor;  Wm.  A.  Little,  Eecorder;  Charles  Herndon,  George  Gra- 
vatt,  Joseph  W.  Sener,  Horace  B.  Hall,  Wm.  H.  Cunningham, 
Charles  S.  Scott,  Beverley  T.  Gill,  John  G.  Hurkamp,  James  Mc- 
Guire,  John  J.  Young,  Thomas  F.  Knox,  Councilmen.  The  fol- 
lowing paper  was  submitted  and  unanimously  adopted: 

"Whereas,  this  community  finds  itself,  after  four  years  of  dis- 
turbing war,  all  of  whose  evils  and  sacrifices  they  have  been  called 
upon  to  endure,  subject  to  the  laws  of  the  United  States,  and  under 
the  control  of  its  authority ; 

And  whereas,  they  are  satisfied  that  the  war  is  at  an  end,  and  that 
their  interests  and  duty  alike  require  that  they  should  recognize 
the  situation  and  submit  to  said  authority  and  laws,  and,  as  quiet 
and  orderly  citizens,  acknowledge  the  powers  that  be,  and  endeavor 
to  preserve  that  character  of  a  law  abiding  and  peaceable  com- 
munity, which  it  has  been  their  purpose  to  maintain ; 

And  whereas  further,  it  is  deemed  proper  that  this  community 


112  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

should,  through  their  constituted  representatives,  give  expression  at 
this  time  to  those  views  and  communicate  the  same  to  the  United 
States  authorities,  therefore  resolved — 

1.  That  M.  Slaughter,  Esq.,  Mayor,  be,  and  he  is,  hereby  ap- 
pointed a  Commissioner  to  proceed  to  Richmond  and  present  a  copy 
of  these  proceedings  through  General  M.  R.  Patrick  to  said  au- 
thority. 

2.  Trusting  that  as  the  community  and  State  is  in  no  way  respon- 
sible for  the  causes  which  led  to  the  revolution  and  have  already 
suffered  so  seriously  during  its  progress,  a  magnanimous  govern- 
ment will  be  satisfied  with  the  restoration  of  its  authority,  and 
adopt  towards  us  the  policy  of  leniency  and  reconciliation  which 
will  tend  with  the  people  of  Virginia  to  restore  friendly  relations, 
soften  the  asperities  and  heal  the  wounds  of  the  past,  and  enable  us 
to  resume  our  former  position  as  peaceful  and  prosperous  citizens 
of  Virginia  and  the  United  States. 

Resolved,  That  the  crime  of  assassination,  which  has  so  recently 
deprived  the  United  States  of  its  President,*  has,  in  all  ages  and 
countries,  received  the  unqualified  detestation  of  all  honorable  and 
civilized  communities,  and  that  the  perpetrator  of  this  crime  de- 
serves the  utmost  punishment  of  the  law  and  the  condemnation  of 
all  upright  men."f 

This  action  of  the  Council  was  Fredericksburg's  declaration  of 
her  allegiance  to  the  United  States,  and  made  her  a  part  of  the 
Union,  so  far  as  that  action  could  make  her.  She  had  passed 
through  the  fiery  furnace  of  suffering  and  sacrifice  since  Virginia 
had  withdrawn  from  the  Union,  but  she  hesitated  to  take  any 
action  by  which  her  loyalty  and  devotion  to  the  Confederate  States 
could  be  questioned,  and  declined  to  take  any  steps  transferring  her 
allegiance  to  the  Union  until  she  knew  that  the  Confederate  gov- 
ernment had  disbanded  and  ceased  to  exist. 

Fredericksburg  had  suffered  as  no  other  town  in  the  South  had 
suffered  and  had  sacrificed  her  all,  yet  instead  of  complaining  she 


*  The  assassination  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  President  of  the  United  States,  by 
J    Wilkes  Booth  on  April  14,   1865. 

■f  See  Council  proceedings,  April  27,  1865. 


Marye's  Heights  and  section  of  old  Stone  Wall.     These  heights 

were  crowded  with  artillery  in  the  battle  of 

December  13,   18C2. 

(See  page  01) 


Office  of  "Trusteesof  the  Town  from  1727  to  1781; 

constructed  into  a  residence. 

(See  page  153.) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  113 

showed  herself  grand  in  her  sufferings  and  glorious  in  her  sacri- 
fices. There  clustered  around  her  hallowed  memories,  grand  his- 
toric events,  individual  achievements,  that,  with  her  war  record,  im- 
parted to  her  a  beauty  and  nobility  of  character  that  made  her 
sublime  even  in  her  desolation. 

As  time  progressed  population  increased.  The  old  citizens  who 
had  refugeed  returned  to  their  homes ;  young  and  middle-aged  men, 
who  had  faithfully  served  their  country  in  the  army,  exchanged 
their  weapons  of  war  for  the  implements  of  peace,  and  business  be- 
gan to  assume  its  legitimate  channels  and  the  old  town  was  well 
nigh  restored  to  its  wonted  activity  and  prosperity.  The  census 
of  1870,  very  imperfectly  taken,  gave  Fredericksburg  at  that  time 
a  population  of  about  four  thousand  inhabitants. 

RECONSTRUCTION   COMMENCED. 

Virginia  Military  District  No.   1 

The  period  in  Virginia  known  as  Eeconstruction,  extending  from 
the  cessation  of  hostilities,  in  1865,  to  the  first  day  of  July,  1870, 
when  the  officers,  elected  under  the  new  constitution,  assumed  their 
places  and  performed  their  duties,  free  of  military  restraint,  was 
one  of  deep  humiliation  to  the  people  of  Virginia,  and  especially 
to  the  citizens  of  Fredericksburg.  Just  after  the  close  of  the  war 
Virginia  appears  to  have  been  neither  a  State  nor  a  territory,  but 
was  declared  to  be  Military  District  No.  1,  and  United  States  army 
officers  were  placed  in  authority  over  her  affairs,  civil  as  well  as 
military.  It  is  true  that  soon  after  the  order  proclaiming  Virginia 
a  military  district  a  provisional  governor  was  appointed  by  the 
authorities,  but  he  was  dominated  by  the  military  in  his  adminis- 
tration of  affairs  of  State,  and  was  powerless,  it  appears,  to  do  any- 
thing in  his  office  as  Governor  not  sanctioned  and  approved  by  the 
commanding  military  officer. 

While  the  town  was  in  the  hands  of  the  civil  authorities — the 
Mayor  and  Common  Council,  elected  at  the  last  election  held  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  war — it  was  only  nominally  so.  They  were 
powerless  to  do  anything  unless  it  met  the  approval  of  the  mili- 
tary authority.  This  was  plainly  shown  by  a  communication  re- 
8 


114  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

ceived  from  Brigader-General  T.  M.  Harris,  commanding,  on  the 
first  day  of  August,  1865,  addressed  to  the  Mayor.  In  that  com- 
munication General  Harris  said: 

"The  sanitary  condition  of  your  town  will,  of  course,  claim  the 
first  and  earnest  attention  of  your  Council.  I  am  desirous  of  co- 
operating, so  far  as  I  am  able,  in  this  matter  and  desire  the  co- 
operation of  the  city  authorities  in  return.  It  will  be  indispensable 
to  have  labor,  which  cannot  be  procured  without  money.  I  would, 
therefore,  suggest  that  you  take  into  consideration  the  propriety 
of  levying  a  small  per  capita  and  also  property  tax  for  this  pur- 
pose." 

Of  course,  under  the  condition  of  things,  a  suggestion  from  the 
General  commanding  was  virtually  an  order,  and  it  was  so  under- 
stood. Accordingly,  on  the  8th  of  August,  the  Common  Council 
was  convened  by  the  Mayor,  when  General  Harris's  communication 
was  laid  before  it,  considered  and  the  following  tax  levied: 

"On  all  real  and  personal  property,  fifty  cents  on  the  one  hundred 
dollars  value;  on  moneys,  solvent  bonds  and  securities,  except  the 
bonds  of  the  corporation,  forty  cents  on  the  one  hundred  dollars 
value;  on  all  capital  invested  or  used  in  any  manufacturing  busi- 
ness or  investment,  used  or  employed  in  any  trade  or  business, 
twenty-five  cents  on  every  one  hundred  dollars;  on  the  moneys  and 
personal  property  of  joint-stock  companies,  forty  cents  on  every  one 
hundred  dollars;  on  every  white  and  colored  male  above  twenty- 
one  years  of  age,  two  dollars."     The  same  tax  was  levied  for  1867. 

AN  ELECTION  SET  ASIDE. 

The  municipal  government  that  found  itself  in  possession  of  the 
town  at  the  close  of  the  war  continued  without  any  election,  or 
any  attempt  to  hold  an  election,  until  the  Spring  of  1867.  At  that 
time  it  seemed  to  be  the  opinion  and  desire  of  the  Mayor  and  Com- 
mon Council  that  an  election  should  be  held  and  that  a  full  corps 
of  officers  for  the  town  should  be  chosen.  The  only  law  under 
which  the  Council  could  act  and  order  an  election  was  the  charter 
which  was  in  force  prior  to  the  war  and  which  prescribed  that  elec- 


History  of  Fredericksburg }  Virginia  115 

tions  for  Mayor  and  Common  Council  should  be  held  on  the  third 
Monday  in  March  of  each  year. 

In  accordance  with  this  provision  of  the  charter  the  Council 
ordered  an  election  to  be  held  on  the  18th  of  March,  1867,  for  the 
election  of  a  Mayor  and  Common  Council,  but  the  question  of  the 
qualification  of  voters  having  arisen,  and  the  Council  being  unable 
to  decide  who  were  entitled  to  vote  under  the  new  order  of  things, 
referred  the  question  to  General  John  M.  Scofield,  who  was  then  in 
command  of  Military  District,  No.  1. 

General  Scofield  suspended  the  election  "until  the  necessary 
preparations  can  be  made  to  fully  and  fairly  carry  out  the  pro- 
visions of  the  act  of  Congress  of  March  3rd,  1867,  concerning  the 
elective  franchise  and  the  qualification  of  officers."  On  receipt  of 
this  order  of  suspension  the  Council  passed  the  following  resolu- 
tion: 

"That  in  pursuance  of  said  oider,  the  election  heretofore  adver- 
tised to  be  held  on  Monday,  the  18th  instant,  for  Mayor  and  Com- 
mon Councilmen,  be  and  it  is  hereby  suspended  until  further  orders. 
And  whereas,  further,  under  General  Orders  No.  1,  issued  from  the 
same  headquarters,  all  officers  under  the  existing  provisional  gov- 
ernment of  Virginia  are  continued  in  office  for  the  present,  tliis- 
Council,  in  accordance  with  said  orders,  do  hereby  resolve  that  the 
persons  at  present,  discharging  the  duties  required  by  the  charter 
of  this  corporation,  be  and  they  are  hereby  continued  in  their  re- 
spective offices  until  further  orders."  And  there  was  a  peculiar 
significance  in  the  word  orders ! 

THE    IRON-CLAD   OATH. 

In  April,  1867,  the  famous  order  was  issued  from  "Headquarters,. 
Military  District,  No.  1,  of  the  State  of  Virginia,"  requiring  every 
officer  in  the  Commonwealth,  State,  municipal  and  county,  to  take 
the  oath  adopted  by  Congress  in  1862,  commonly  called  the  test 
oath,  and  which  was  known  through  the  South  after  the  close  of  the 
war  as  the  Iron-clad  oath.  This  order  affected  every  officer  in  the 
State,  from  the  Governor  down  to  the  smallest  officer,  and  it  created, 
quite  a  sensation.     The  oath  was  as  follows: 


116  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

'% ,  of  the  county  of and  State  of , 

do  solemnly  swear  that  I  have  never  voluntarily  borne  arms  against 
the  United  States  since  I  have  been  a  citizen  thereof;  that  I  have 
voluntarily  given  no  aid,  countenance,  counsel  or  encouragement 
to  persons  engaged  in  hostility  thereto ;  that  I  have  neither  sought 
nor  accepted,  nor  attempted  to  exercise  the  functions  of  any  office 
whatsoever  under  any  authority  or  pretended  authority  in  hostility 
to  the  United  States;  that  I  have  yielded  no  voluntary  support  to 
any  authority,  pretended  authority  or  constitution  within  the 
United  States  inimical  thereto.     So  help  me  God !" 

Fredericksburg  had  no  officer  serving  at  that  time  who  could  take 
such  an  oath.  Some  of  the  officers  had,  at  some  time  during  the  war, 
been  active  participants  on  the  Confederate  side,  and  those  who 
were  too  far  advanced  in  age  to  enter  the  army  had  sympathized 
with  the  Confederate  cause  and  had  otherwise  aided  it,  therefore 
every  officer,  from  Mayor  down  to  policeman,  was  removed  and 
their  places  supplied,  in  some  few  instances,  by  residents  who  took 
the  required  oath,  but  in  most  instances  the  appointees  were  strang- 
ers and  citizens  of  Northern  States,  who  had  floated  down  South  in 
search  of  some  office  at  the  hands  of  the  military  commander. 

The  venerable  and  efficient  clerk  of  the  courts,  Mr.  John  James 
Chew,  who  had  held  the  office  for  forty  years,  was  removed  and  an 
inexperienced  and  inefficient  stranger  was  installed  in  his  place  and 
given  the  keeping  and  custody  of  our  court  papers  and  records. 
Many  of  the  appointees  of  the  Common  Council  were  men  of  that 
class,  and  were  therefore  unable  to  conduct  the  affairs  of  the  town, 
provide  a  revenue  to  meet  the  running  expenses  and  pay  the  interest 
on  the  city  bonds. 

The  Military  Council  was  placed  in  possession  of  the  city  gov- 
ernment in  1867,  and  conducted  public  affairs  on  the  revenues 
brought  in  by  the  tax  bill  levied  by  their  predecessors  by  permis- 
sion of  the  commanding  general.  In  the  latter  part  of  1867  the 
creditors  of  the  town  were  demanding  their  money,  and  no  money 
was  in  the  treasury.  They  threatened  suits  to  enforce  payment 
of  their  dues,  and  in  order  to  meet  these  obligations,  on  the  23rd 
vof  May,  1868,  the  Military  Council  passed  a  tax  bill  levying  a  tax 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  117 

of  one  dollar  and  a  quarter  on  the  one  hundred  dollars  value  of 
all  real  and  personal  property,  and  on  all  males  over  twenty-one 
years  of  age  a  capitation  tax  of  three  dollars,  but  the  Commissioner 
of  Eevenue  never  made  up  his  tax  books  and  the  tax  was  never 
collected.  This  state  of  things  continued  through  the  year  1869; 
therefore,  when  the  Common  Council  of  the  people's  own  choosing 
took  charge  of  the  city  government  on  the  first  of  July,  1870, 
under  the  provisions  of  the  new  State  constitution,  they  found 
municipal  affairs  in  a  wretched  condition. 

THE  NEW   CHARTEE  POR  THE   CITY. 

The  new  charter  for  the  town,  granted  under  the  new  State  con- 
stitution, was  passed  by  the  Legislature  and  approved  by  the  Gov- 
ernor on  the  23rd  of  March,  1871.  It  differed  very  much  from  the 
charter  under  which  the  town  was  governed  before  the  war,  both  as 
to  new  offices  provided  for  and  the  term  of  officers.  The  officers 
to  be  elected  by  the  people  were  one  Mayor,  who  should  hold  his 
office  for  two  years;  twelve  Councilmen,  who  should  hold  for  one 
year;  but  this  was  subsequently  changed  so  that  six  Councilmen 
should  be  elected  from  each  ward — the  town  having  been  divided 
into  two  wards — and  they  were  to  hold  office  for  two  years;  one 
City  Sergeant  for  a  term  of  two  years;  one  Commissioner  of  the 
Eevenue  for  two  years,  which  has  since  been  changed  to  four  years, 
and  one  City  Treasurer  for  three  years.  Any  person  who  was 
a  qualified  voter  was  eligible  to  any  one  of  the  offices  named  above, 
and  when  they  were  elected  and  qualified  they  were  to  "have  the 
powers,  perform  the  duties  and  be  subject  to  the  liabilities  and  re- 
sponsibilities prescribed  by  the  general  laws"  of  the  State. 

•They  were  not  to  enter  upon  their  respective  duties  until  they 
qualified  before  some  person  authorized  to  administer  oaths,  and,  in 
addition  to  the  oath  of  fidelity  and  the  anti-duelling  oath,  each  one 
had  also  to  swear  "that  I  recognize  and  accept  the  civil  and  political 
equality  of  all  men  before  the  law."  This  was  another  reminder  to 
us  that  the  "negroes  were  free,"  and  was  "intended  as  the  lash  to 
compel  Southern  courts  to  administer  to  them  justice  and  to 
election  officers  to  accord  them  all  the  privileges  at  the  polls  they 
were  allowed." 


X18  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

The  Mayor  was  to  preside  at  the  meetings  of  the  Council,  give  the 
casting  vote  on  questions  before  that  body  in  case  of  a  tie  and  act 
as  a  justice  of  the  peace  in  civil  and  criminal  matters  arising  in  the 
corporation.  He  was  to  have  control  of  the  police  of  the  town 
and  appoint  special  police  officers  when  he  deemed  it  necessary; 
and,  in  addition  to  these  duties,  he  was  empowered  to  try  all 
offences  and  controversies  arising  under  the  ordinances  of  the  town, 
to  impose  fines  and  collect  the  same,  saving  to  the  parties  the  right 
of  appeal  when  the  matter  in  controversy  exceeded  the  sum  of  ten 
dollars. 

The  Council  was  authorized  to  establish  and  regulate  markets,  to 
alter  or  improve  streets,  alleys,  sidewalks  and  bridges,  and  keep  the 
same  in  order;  to  provide  for  the  lighting  of  streets,  against  acci- 
dents by  fire;  to  establish  fire  companies,  purchase  engines,  and  to 
provide  wells  or  cisterns  for  supplying  water.  It  was  authorized  to 
prevent  and  punish,  by  reasonable  fines,  the  practice  of  discharging 
fire-arms  and  running  horses  in  the  town;  to  license  and  regulate 
shows  and  other  exhibitions,  and  tax  them  in  such  manner  as  may 
be  expedient  and  lawful;  to  lay  off  public  grounds  and  provide  for 
and  take  care  of  public  buildings,  grounds  and  cemeteries;  to  con- 
duct and  distribute  water  into  and  through  the  town;  to  adopt 
rules  for  its  own  government  and  the  transaction  of  its  business. 
It  was  also  to  define  the  powers,  prescribe  the  duties  and  fix  the 
term  of  service  and  compensation  of  its  own  appointees,  necessary 
for  conducting  the  affairs  of  the  town,  not  otherwise  provided;  to 
fix  the  salary  of  the  Mayor  and  all  other  officers,  but  no  compen- 
sation was  to  be  allowed  to  any  member  of  the  Council  unless  he 
should  act  as  clerk  of  the  body.  The  Council  was  to  make  all  such 
hy-laws  and  regulations  as  it  might  deem  necessary,  consistent  with 
the  constitution  and  laws  of  the  State,  for  the  good  government  of 
the  town,  and  to  enforce  the  same  by  reasonable  fines  and  penalties, 
not  exceeding  for  any  one  offence  the  sum  of  ten  dollars. 

The  Council  was  authorized  to  provide  a  revenue  for  the  town 
and  appropriate  the  same,  and  for  that  purpose  it  was  made  the 
duty  of  the  Commissioner  of  the  Revenue  to  make  an  annual 
assessment  of  taxable  persons  and  property  within  the  town,  such  as 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  119 

should  be  taxable  under  the  revenue  laws  of  the  State,  including 
dogs  and  other  animals  running  at  large. 

This  was  the  release  of  the  liberty-loving  people  of  Fredericks- 
burg from  military  bondage  and  misrule,  signed,  sealed  and  de- 
livered, for  which  they  rejoiced  as  did  the  captive  Israelite  of  old 
as  he  again  returned  from  bondage  to  his  beloved  native  land. 

CITIZENS   AGAIN   IN    CONTROL. 

The  Ante  Bellum  Debt  of  the  Town. 

Prior  to  the  war  the  Council,  by  direction  of  the  people,  given 
through  the  ballot,  had  made  large  appropriations  to  public  im- 
provements, with  a  view  of  building  up  the  town  by  retaining  the 
trade  of  the  surrounding  country,  which  was  threatened  by  other 
cities,  and  by  drawing  trade  from  other  sections  of  the  country  that 
found  markets  elsewhere.  From  these  improvements  the  hopes  of 
the  town  were  not  realized.  Some  of  them  remained  in  an  unfin- 
ished condition,  while  others  had  been  rendered  worthless  by  new 
lines  of  railroad  that  had  diverted  their  business  and  rendered  them 
worthless ;  yet,  the  debt  owed  by  the  town,  by  reason  of  these  appro- 
priations and  other  expenditures,  amounted  to  $244,521.48.*  All 
this  debt  was  hanging  over  the  desolated  town  and  not  a  dollar's 
worth  of  property  to  show  for  it. 

In  addition  to  this  loss  no  provision  had  been  made  by  former 
Councils  to  meet  the  interest  on  these  bonds  for  the  past  four  or 
five  years,  and  suits  had  been  brought  and  judgments  obtained  to 
enforce  payment  and  other  suits  were  threatened.  Under  judg- 
ments and  executions  obtained  against  the  corporation,  all  property 
belonging  to  the  town,  available,  was  sold  at  public  auction  by  the 
officer  of  the  law.  Even  the  chairs  in  the  council  chamber,  in 
which  the  members  of  the  Council  sat  to  conduct  the  public  business 
of  the  town,  were  sold  by  the  constable  at  public  outcry  under  exe- 
cution.    The  members  of  the  Council  attended  this  sale  and  each 


•  This  amount  was  ascertained  by  Mr.  St.  George  R.  Fitzhugh,  after  a  thor- 
ough examination  of  the  indebtedness  of  the  town  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
about  1895,  which  was  published  in  the  town  papers  and  also  in  circulars  and 
distributed. 


120  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

one  purchased  his  chair,  and  thereafter  the  members  furnished  their 
own  seats  at  the  council  board,  while  they  legislated  for  the  public 
good,  without  fee  or  reward,  other  than  the  consciousness  of  duty 
nobly  done. 

The  Common  Council  that  took  charge  of  municipal  affairs  in 
187D  had  many  grave  and  difficult  questions  to  meet  and  determine. 
Debts  had  accumulated  against  the  city,  while  the  taxable  values 
had  greatly  diminished  by  the  destruction  of  property  during  the 
war  and  the  emancipation  of  the  slaves.  A  large  portion  of  the 
inhabitants  had  recently  returned  home — the  women  and  children 
from  refugeeing  and  the  men  from  the  army — almost  penniless, 
to  find  their  homes  in  ruins  or  badly  damaged  and  despoiled  of 
what  had  been  left  in  them.  Nearly  everybody  had  to  commence 
life  anew. 

The  Council,  therefore,  had  to  provide  for  these  debts,  and,  at 
the  same  time,  not  place  a  burden  upon  an  impoverished  people,  in 
the  form  of  taxation  that  they  could  not  bear.  It  was  a  trying 
ordeal,  but  the  members  were  equal  to  the  emergency.  That  Coun- 
cil was  composed  of  Walker  Peyton  Conway,  J.  Gordon  Wallace, 
Hugh  S.  Doggett,  George  W.  Eve,  Patrick  McCracken,  Wm.  C. 
Morrison,  Joseph  W.  Sener,  John  T.  Knight,  John  H.  Myer, 
George  Gravatt,  Thomas  Harrison  and  John  James  Young. 

The  finance  committee  of  that  Council,  which  was  expected  to 
provide  for  the  finances  and  bring  before  the  Council,  for  its  con- 
sideration and  adoption,  such  measures  as  would  meet  the  emer- 
gency and  not  oppress  the  tax-payers,  consisted  of  W.  P.  Conway, 
J.  Gordon  Wallace  and  Hugh  S.  Doggett.  With  great  diligence 
they  applied  themselves  to  their  task.  A  tax  bill  was  formulated 
and  brought  before  the  Council  levying  a  tax,  which  was  adopted, 
and  in  a  short  time  money  was  raised,  the  debts  were  paid  in 
installments  until  all  creditors  were  paid  or  satisfactory  arrange- 
ments made  with  them. 

In  1876  the  old  bonds  of  the  city  were  funded,  by  mutual  agree- 
ment of  the  Council  and  the  bond  holders,  at  sixty-six  and  two- 
third  cents  on  the  dollar,  the  new  bonds  to  bear  seven  per  cent, 
interest  and  run  thirty  years.     This  was  a  wise  arrangement  of  the 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  121 

Council,  notwithstanding  there  was  considerable  opposition  to  it, 
the  opponents  of  the  measure  claiming  that  the  rate  of  interest  of 
the  new  bonds  should  not  exceed  six  per  cent.,  although  money 
was  then  bringing  from  ten  to  twelve  per  cent.,  and  sometimes  more 
than  twelve.  The  amount  of  bonds  issued  under  this  funding 
act  amounted  to  $125,000. 

By  this  arrangement  of  funding  one-third  of  the  principal  of  the 
bonds  was  eliminated,  the  threatened  suits  for  past-due  interest 
were  averted,  and  it  put  the  Council  in  a  position  to  provide  for 
the  interest  as  it  should  fall  due,  take  care  of  the  floating  debt,  and 
at  the  same  time  reduce  the  rate  of  taxation,  which  the  tax-payer 
hailed  with  delight.  Thus  the  delinquencies  of  the  former  years 
were  met  and  provided  for,  the  rate  of  taxation  was  not  oppressive, 
and  the  town,  being  under  the  control  of  its  own  citizens,  untram- 
melled by  military  authority,  rapidly  moved  forward,  public  confi- 
dence in  its  ability  to  meet  its  obligations  was  restored  and  thus 
municipal  affairs  were  placed  in  a  satisfactory  condition.  The 
credit  of  the  city  is  as  good  at  present  as  any  city  of  the  State,  and 
no  bonds  have  been  funded  or  sold  in  the  last  twelve  years  at  a 
greater  rate  of  interest  than  four  per  cent.,  or  at  any  figure  below 
their  face  value. 

PRESENT  INDEBTEDNESS,  INCLUDING  ANTE  AND  POST  BELLUM  BONDS. 

The  bonded  indebtedness  of  the  city,  and  the  improvements  for 
which  said  bonds  were  issued  is  a  matter  that  concerns  every  citi- 
zen, and  for  their  information  are  here  given  as  of  1908 : 

Five  per  cent,  water  bonds,  issued  July  1,  1895,  due  January  1, 

1909,  coupons  payable  January  and  July  1st $  30,000 

Four  per  cent,  gas  bonds,  issued   January  2,  1900,  coupons  due 

July  and  January  2nd,  bonds  due  January  2,  1920 25,000 

Four  per  cent,  bridge   bonds,  issued  July  2,  1900,  coupons  due 

January  and  July  2nd,  bonds  due  July  2,  1920 25,000 

Four  per  cent,  electric  light  bonds,  issued  January  1,  1901,  cou- 
pons due  July  and  January  1st,  bonds  due  January  1,  1931. . .    12,000 

Four  per  cent,  sewer  bonds,  issued  April  1,   1901,  coupons  due 

October  and  April  1st,  bonds  due  April  1,  1931 18,000 

Four  per  cent,  street  improvement  bonds,  issued  April  1,  1901, 

coupons  due  October  and  April  1st,  bonds  due  April  1,  1931 20,000 


122  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Four  per  cent,  water  and  gas  bonds,  issued  April  1,  1905,  cou- 
pons due  October  and  April  1st,  bonds  due  April  1,  1931 20,000 

Four  per  cent,  gas  and  water  bonds,  issued  September  1,  1905, 
coupons  due  September  1st,  $5,000  to  be  paid  each  year  till 
paid,  $5,000  already  paid 20,000 

Four  per  cent,  bonds  funding  the  old  7  per  cent,  bonds,  issued 
May  1,  1906,  coupons  due  May  and  November,  bonds  due 
May  1,  1936 119,400 

Three  bonds  of  $5,000,  due  National  Bank  of  Fredericksburg  and 
payable  $5,000  on  November  1,  1908,  and  yearly  thereafter, 
bearing  4  per  cent,  interest 15,000 

Making  the  total  bonded  debt  of  the  town $304,400 

Many  of  these  public  improvements  were  constructed  by  the 
authority  of  the  freeholders  of  the  town,  by  a  majority  vote  cast  at 
special  elections  appointed  and  held  for  that  purpose;  others  were 
constructed  by  action  of  the  City  Council  under  authority  granted 
them  by  the  new  constitution  enlarging  the  powers  and  duties  of 
city  councils,  and  appeared  to  have  the  sanction  of  a  large  majority 
of  the  tax-payers  of  the  town. 


CHAPTER  IX 

The  Courts  of  Fredericksburg — The  Freedman's  Bureau — Court 
Orders  and  Incidents — First  Night  Watch — Ministers  Qualify 
to  Perform  Marriage  Ceremony — First  Notary  Public — Fix- 
ing the  Value  of  Bank  Notes — Prison  Bounds  for  Debtors — 
Public  Buildings,  &c. 

If  every  one  in  this  Christian  land  was  a  Christian,  and  was 
governed  by  the  rule  laid  down  and  inculcated  by  the  Christ, 
"whatsoever  ye  would  that  men  should  do  to  you,  do  ye  even  so  to 
them,"  there  would  have  been  but  little,  if  any,  use  for  courts  in 
this  country.  But  all  people  are  not  Christians,  and  all  Christians 
are  not  governed  by  that  golden  rule,  therefore  courts  were  neces- 
sary to  punish  crime,  settle  disputes,  protect  the  weak  against  the 
strong,  secure  the  widow  and  orphan  in  their  rights,  enforce  pro- 
vision for  the  indigent  poor,  and  perform  other  functions  for  the 
benefit  of  society  and  the  well-being  of  the  country. 

What  courts  Fredericksburg  had  before  the  Revolutionary  war  is 
unknown,  as  no  record  seems  to  have  been  left  of  them.  In  all 
probability  the  successors  of  Major  Lawrence  Smith  were  also 
authorized  to  execute  martial  law  and  hear  and  determine  all  ques- 
tions, as  a  county  court  might  do,  until  the  town  was  chartered  in 
1727  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  trustees.  These  trustees  had  cer- 
tain powers  conferred  upon  them  by  act  of  the  House  of  Burgesses, 
and  they  were  to  keep  records  of  their  proceedings,  but  these  re- 
cords cannot  now  be  found  and  quite  likely  have  long  ago  been 
destroyed. 

It  may  have  been  possible  that  the  Colonial  Governors  appointed 
magistrates  to  hear  and  determine  causes  within  certain  limits  and 
to  punish  petty  offences,  while  causes  beyond  those  limits  and 
felonies  were  heard  and  determined  by  the  court  sitting  at  Wil- 
liamsburg. Of  this,  however,  we  are  left  to  conjecture,  as  no  re- 
cords are  at  our  command.  But  if  this  had  been  the  manner  of 
dispensing  justice  prior  to  1781,  it  furnished  a  pattern  for  the 

[  123  ] 


124  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Virginia  Legislature  for  many  years  thereafter  with  respect  to  the 
town,  as  is  referred  to  elsewhere. 

The  first  court  established  in  Fredericksburg,  that  we  now  have 
any  records  of,  was  by  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia, 
passed  during  the  session  of  1781.  At  that  session  Fredericksburg 
was  regularly  incorporated  and  given  a  Common  Council  and  a 
hustings  court,  but  the  court  did  not  organize  until  April  15,  1782. 
At  its  organization  the  following  justices  were  present:  Charles 
Mortimer,  Wm.  McWilliams,  James  Somerville",  Charles  Dick, 
Samuel  Roddy  and  John  Julien,  "the  same  being  Mayor,  Recorder 
and  Aldermen  of  the  town,"  elected  to  their  respective  offices  on  the 
18th  day  of  March,  1782,  in  the  order  above  named. 

This  continued  as  the  only  court  of  the  town  until  1788,  when 
nineteen  district  courts  were  established  in  the  State  by  the  General 
Assembly,  one  of  which  was  located  at  Fredericksburg.  These 
courts  were  presided  over  by  two  judges  of  the  General  Court, 
located  at  Richmond,  the  number  of  judges  of  that  court  having 
been,  by  the  same  act,  increased  from  five  to  ten  judges. 

This  district  court  was  regarded  as  a  very  important  court,  and 
was  attended  by  some  of  the  ablest  lawyers  in  Virginia  and  adjoin- 
ing States.  Edmund  Randolph,  after  he  was  Governor  and  twice 
a  Cabinet  Minister,*  and  also  James  Monroe,  a  citizen  of  this  place, 
after  he  was  Minister  to  England,  France  and  Spain,  were  attor- 
neys before  and  practised  in  this  court.  While  attending  a  session 
of  this  court,  on  the  3rd  day  of  May,  1798,  Governor  Randolph 
published  the  following  card  in  the  Virginia  Herald: 

"My  business  in  the  Court  of  Appeals  and  High  Court  of  Chan- 
cery render  it  impossible  for  me  to  attend  constantly  the  district 
court  holden  at  this  place.  I  have,  therefore,  come  hither,  during 
the  present  term,  with  a  hope  of  finishing  almost  every  cause  in 
which  I  was  employed;  and  have  refused  all  fees,  which  have  been 
offered  to  me  in  any  suits,  which  I  may  not  try  before  I  leave  the 
town.  I  am  apprehensive,  however,  that  I  shall  not  succeed  in 
concluding  everything ;  and  I  have  accordingly,  made  the  following 


*  Attorney-General  and  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  in  Washington's  Cabinet. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  125 

arrangement:  To  some  of  my  clients  I  have  personally  returned 
the  fees;  to  all  others,  where  the  business  has  not  been  absolutely 
finished,  or  any  step  remains  to  be  taken,  except  to  move  for  the 
opinion  of  the  court,  the  fee  will  be  returned  on  application  to 
John  Chew,  Esq.,  clerk  of  the  court,  who  has  been  so  obliging  as 
to  accept  from  me  a  list  of  all  my  suits,  still  depending,  of  the 
money  received,  and  of  their  situation.  Although  the  fees  are  to  be 
returned  yet  I  have  obtained  the  favor  of  Colonel  Monroe,*  Colonel 
John  Minor  and  Francis  Brooke,  Esq.,f  to  attend  to  these  suits, 
agreeably  to  the  memorandum  which  I  have  given  each  of  them, 
with  every  paper  and  information  in  my  power.  In  two  of  the 
cases,  which  are  of  peculiar  importance,  I  shall  attend  myself  at  a 
future  day;  and  in  all  instances,  will  cheerfully  assist  with  my 
advice.  If  required,  I  will  be  ready  to  attend  the  trial  of  any  par- 
ticular suits,  now  or  hereafter  depending  in  this  court  whensoever 
the  business  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  and  High  Court  of  Chancery 
will  permit." 

This  court  continued  in  existence  for  about  twenty  years,  when, 
by  an  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  1808-9,  it  was  abolished, 
and  a  "Circuit  Court  or  a  Superior  Court  of  Law,"  was  established 
in  its  stead.  This  new  court  was  presided  over  by  one  of  the  judges 
of  the  General  Court,  the  number  of  judges  of  that  court,  it  appears, 
having  been  increased  from  ten  to  fifteen,  to  correspond  with  the 
number  of  circuits  established  in  the  State.  These  courts  have 
continued  to  the  present  time,  with  slight  changes  at  different 
periods  as  to  their  powers  and  territory,  and  are  presided  over  by 
circuit  judges. 

In  the  year  1852  the  State  was  divided  into  ten  districts  and  a 
court  was  established  for  each  district,  known  as  the  District 
Court  of  Appeals.  The  court  for  the  Fourth  district  was  located 
at  Fredericksburg,  and  was  held  up-stairs  in  the  north  wing  of  the 
present  courthouse.  This  court  consisted  of  the  judges  of  the  cir- 
cuit courts  constituting  the  district  and  the  judge  of  the  Court  of 
Appeals,  elected  from  this  section  of  the  State,  as  president.     It 


*  President  James  Monroe. 

f  Afterwards  one  of  the  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court. 


126  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

was  provided  that  no  judge  should  sit  in  any  appeal  case  sent  up 
from  his  circuit.  This  court  continued  until  the  adoption  of  what 
was  known  as  the  Underwood  Constitution,  which  failed  to  make 
provision  for  district  courts. 

Prior  to  1870  the  corporation  or  hustings  court  was  held  by  three 
or  more  justices  of  the  peace,  but  when  the  State  constitution  of 
that  year  was  adopted  it  raised  that  court  to  a  higher  dignity,  its 
powers  and  jurisdiction  were  enlarged,  and  a  judge  prescribed  "who 
shall  be  learned  in  the  law."  Since  the  establishment  of  this  court 
it  has  had  five  judges  to  preside  over  it — John  M.  Herndon,  John 
T.  Goolrick,  Montgomery  Slaughter,  A.  Wellington  Wallace,  and 
Alvin  T.  Embrey.  The  new  State  constitution  abolished  all 
county  courts  and  provided  four  annual  terms  of  the  circuit  court, 
which  were  regarded  ample  for  all  purposes.  In  this  change  in 
the  present  constitution  Fredericksburg  lost  her  session  of  the  cir- 
cuit court  and  also  her  hustings  court,  but  authority  was  conferred 
upon  the  City  Council  to  continue  the  hustings  court  if  it  judged  it 
necessary,  the  Legislature  to  elect  the  judge,  whose  term  of  office 
was  to  be  ten  years,  and  the  Council  was  to  pay  his  salary.  In 
accordance  with  this  authority  the  Council  decided  to  continue  the 
court,  and  Judge  John  T.  Goolrick  was  elected  by  the  General 
Assembly  to  preside  over  it. 

The  police  court,  established  by  the  State  constitution  of  1870,  is 
held  by  the  Mayor  of  the  town,  and  in  his  absence  by  the  Recorder, 
or  in  his  absence  by  any  justice  of  the  peace  who  may  be  designated 
by  the  Mayor  for  that  purpose.  This  court  has  jurisdiction  of  mis- 
demeanors and  of  civil  cases,  where  the  amount  involved  is  less 
than  one  hundred  dollars,  with  the  right  of  appeal  to  the  corpora- 
tion court  when  the  amount  in  controversy  is  ten  dollars  or  more. 
After  the  first  of  January,  1909,  by  provision  of  State  law,  this 
court  will  be  conducted  by  a  police  justice. 

CIRCUIT  COURT. 

The  new  State  constitution  increased  the  number  of  circuits, 
when  the  county  courts  were  abolished,  to  twenty-nine,  and  also 
increased  the  terms  of  the  court  to  four  annually,  in  order  to  enable 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  127 

the  judges  to  do  what  the  circuit  courts  previously  did  and  most  of 
the  work  formerly  allotted  to  the  old  county  courts.  In  order  to 
do  this  the  duties  of  the  circuit  clerks  were  greatly  enlarged,  that 
they  might  do  much  of  the  business  heretofore  transacted  by  the 
county  courts.  Fredericksburg  is  in  the  fifteenth  circuit,  but  no 
session  of  the  court  is  held  within  her  borders.  The  circuit  con- 
sists of  five  counties — King  George,  Stafford,  Spotsylvania,  Caro- 
line and  Hanover.  Our  circuit  judge  is  the  Hon.  John  E.  Mason, 
who  resides  most  of  the  time  in  Fredericksburg. 

CHANGE  IN  CITY  AFFAIRS. 

The  same  constitution  that  changed  the  circuit  courts  and 
abolished  the  county  courts  made  many  changes  also  with  govern- 
ment of  cities  and  towns.  In  Fredericksburg,  divided  into  two 
wards  as  it  had  been  for  some  years,  the  six  Councilmen  from  each 
ward  were  elected  at  the  same  time  to  serve  two  years,  the  Mayor 
being  the  presiding  officer  of  the  body.  In  these  changes  each  ward 
is  to  elect  three  Councilmen  every  two  years,  who  are  to  serve  a 
term  of  four  years,  and  the  presiding  officer  is  to  be  elected  from 
the  body  of  the  Council.  The  present  president  is  William  E. 
Bradley,  Esq.,  the  first  one  having  been  Col.  E.  D.  Cole. 

THE  FREEDMAN'S  BUREAU. 

The  Freedman's  Bureau  was  established  in  Fredericksburg  in 
1865.  It  was  an  unique  judicial  tribunal,  and  found  its  way  in 
our  midst  by  reason  of  the  disjointed  condition  of  the  country  at 
that  time.  It  was  brought  into  being  by  congressional  enactment, 
to  be  operated  alone  in  the  Southern  States  that  had  formed  the 
Southern  Confederacy,  which  government  had  then  ceased  to  exist. 
The  geographical  divisions  in  the  South  were  no  longer  States,  as 
heretofore  stated,  but  military  districts,  designated  by  numbers, 
and  it  was  the  opinion  of  the  Federal  authorities,  it  seems,  that  in 
the  chaotic  condition  of  society  and  the  impotency  of  our  courts, 
or  from  some  other  cause,  the  colored  people,  who  had  just  been 
emancipated  from  slavery,  would  not  be  justly  dealt  with  by  their 
former  owners,  hence  the  necessity  of  this  civil-military  tribunal. 

These  Freedman's  bureaus  were  composed  of  three  judges — one 


128  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

an  army  officer  and  two  citizens.  In  the  organization  of  the  bureau 
in  Fredericksburg  two  of  the  judges  were  appointed  by  the  com- 
mander of  the  military  district  and  the  third  one  was  elected  by  the 
Common  Council.  Being  thus  formed  it  was  supposed  that  all 
parties  brought  before  the  court  would  receive  justice.  It  had 
original  jurisdiction  over  misdemeanors,  controversies  involving 
labor  and  the  observance  of  contracts,  and  appellate  jurisdiction 
from  the  decisions  of  magistrates  and  police  justices,  where  the 
rights  of  colored  people  and  United  States  soldiers  were  involved. 

The  first  court  of  this  kind  organized  in  Fredericksburg  was  com- 
posed of  Major  James  Johnson,  a  United  States  army  officer, 
Major  Charles  Williams,  an  ardent  Union  man,  and  James  B. 
Sener,  who  was  unanimously  elected  by  the  Common  Council  "a 
commissioner  on  the  part  of  the  citizens  of  the  town  in  the  Freed- 
man's  bureau,  about  to  be  organized."* 

Many  absurd  and  amusing  stories  were  put  in  circulation  about 
this  court,  and  the  colored  people  were  variously  impressed  with  its 
functions  and  purposes,  as  well  as  of  its  powers  and  jurisdiction. 
Persons  who  followed  the  Union  army  to  town,  and  who  professed 
great  friendship  for  the  colored  people  and  secured  their  confidence, 
told  them  that  one  purpose  of  the  Freedman's  Bureau  was  to  adjust 
financial  matters  between  ex-slaves  and  their  former  owners  and 
to  remunerate  them  for  labor  performed  while  they  were  in  slavery. 
The  money  for  this  purpose  was  to  be  made  from  the  property  of 
those  who  owned  the  slaves  and  who  received  the  benefit  of  their 
services. 

The  most  of  the  colored  people  believed  these,  as  they  did  the 
other  absurd  stores,!  and  it  was  agreed  that  a  test  case  should  be 
made  in  Fredericksburg,  and  if  it  was  decided  in  favor  of  the  ex- 
slave  that  all  the  other  ex-slaves  should  bring  similar  suits  for  their 


*  Council  proceedings,  1867. 

f  Some  of  the  colored  people  were  told  by  wags  that  the  object  of  the 
bureau  was  to  furnish  a  bureau  to  every  colored  family  that  had  none,  as  It 
was  composed  of  bureaus.  Believing  this  to  be  true,  some  colored  women  are 
said  to  have  driven  their  wagons  from  Caroline  county  to  town  and  applied  to 
Major  Johnson  for  their  bureau,  and  could  not  conceal  their  disgust  when  they 
were  Informed  that  "It  was  a  jestls  bureau  they  had  In  Fredericksburg  and  not 
a  furniture  bureau." 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  129 

ante-bellum  services.  The  papers  were  prepared  in  such  a  case  by 
one  of  the  so-called  lawyers,  who  made  their  appearance  in  our 
midst  in  those  troublous  times,  one  of  our  colored  men  being  the 
plaintiff,  but  it  was  soon  ascertained  that  such  a  suit  would  be 
"laughed  out  of  court,"  and  therefore  the  matter  was  dropped  and 
nothing  more  was  heard  from  it.  It  is  said  that  after  this  the 
bureau  was  not  popular  even  with  the  colored  people. 

COURT  ORDERS  AND  INCIDENTS. 

There  are  many  orders  made  and  incidents  that  happened  in  the 
old  courts  that  will  be  of  interest  to-day,  if  for  no  other  reason 
than  for  their  age  and  the  fact  that  they  are  not  practised  in  our 
present  courts.  Among  the  first  things  that  claimed  the  attention 
of  the  hustings  court,  after  its  organization  and  appointment  of  the 
officers  of  the  court,  was  to  fix  the  rates  of  charges  for  the  tavern- 
keepers.  This  it  did  on  the  20th  day  of  May,  1782,  entering  the 
following  schedule: 

"Good  "West  India  rum,  one  pound  per  gallon;  bread,  ten  shil- 
lings ;  whiskey,  six ;  strong  beer,  four ;  good  "West  India  rum  toddy, 
ten  shillings;  brandy  toddy,  seven  shillings  and  six  pence;  rum 
punch,  fifteen  shillings;  brandy  punch,  twelve;  rum  grog,  six; 
brandy  grog,  five.  Diet:  one  meal,  one  shilling  and  six  pence; 
lodging,  one  shilling  and  three  pence;  "stablidge"  and  hay,  two 
shillings ;  oats  and  corn,  nine  pence  per  gallon." 

Nearly  half  a  century  passed  before  another  order  in  reference  to 
tavern  rates  was  made,  or  recorded  if  made.  It  is  presumed  that 
the  schedule  of  rates  made  in  1782  was  in  force  until  the  10th  day 
of  May,  1838,  or  was  renewed  from  time  to  time,  with  slight 
changes.  On  the  10th  of  May,  1838,  another  list  of  prices  was 
adopted  by  the  court,  and  entered  as  follows,  dollars  and  cents 
being  substituted  for  pounds  and  shillings : 

Breakfast,  50  cents;  dinner  50;  supper,  50;  lodging,  25;  grain 
per  gallon,  12£  "stablage"  and  hay  per  night,  25;  Madeira  wine, 
per  quart,  1.00;  champagne,  per  quart,  1.50;  other  wine  per  quart, 
50;  French  brandy,  12£  per  gill;  rum,  12|;  gin,  12|;  whiskey, 
12£;  corn  per  gallon,  25. 
9 


130  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Another  order  was  made  by  the  court  on  the  first  day  of  March, 
1784,  when  it  "proceeded  to  settle  the  allowances  to  the  officers  of 
the  corporation."  That  order  gave  to  the  officers  their  sal- 
aries as  follows:  Mr.  John  Minor,  Jr.,  attorney  for  the  Com- 
monwealth, 2000  pounds  of  tobacco;  Henry  Armistead,  clerk, 
1200  pounds;  John  Legg,  sergeant,  1200  pounds;  Henry  Armi- 
stead, for  attending  all  courts  of  inquiry,  400  pounds;  sergeant  for 
same,  570  pounds,  and  Wm.  Jenkins,  "gaoler,"  364  pounds.  For 
several  years  the  salaries  of  the  corporation  officers  were  paid  in  the 
same  manner  and  in  the  same  currency. 

On  the  2nd  of  August,  1784,  it  was  "ordered  that  the  clerk 
certify  that  this  court  do  recommend  Robert  Brooke*  as  a  person 
of  probity,  honesty  and  good  demeanor/'  This  recommendation,  it 
is  understood,  was  necessary  in  order  for  Mr.  Brooke  to  obtain  a 
license  from  the  General  Court  to  practise  law;  and  on  the  7th  of 
February,  1785,  Robert  Brooke  and  Bushrod  Washington f  were 
admitted  as  practising  lawyers  before  the  court. 

Henry  Armistead,  the  first  clerk  of  the  court,  died  about  the  first 
of  August,  1787,  and  on  the  6th  of  August  John  Chew,  Jr.,  was 
appointed  clerk  to  fill  the  vacancy.  By  that  appointment  we  have 
this  remarkable  record,  that  from  the  appointment  of  John  Chew, 
Jr.,  on  the  6th  of  August,  1787,  to  the  death  of  Colonel  Robert 
S.  Chew,  on  the  17th  of  August,  1886,  the  clerkship  of  the  hustings 
court  was  in  the  Chew  family,  except  the  short  time  it  was  held  by 
W.  C.  Strait  under  military  appointment.  It  went  from  father  to 
son  for  the  fourth  generation,  covering  a  period  of  ninety-nine 
years  and  eleven  days.  These  generations  served  as  follows :  John 
Chew,  Jr.,  from  1787  to  1806;  Robert  S.  Chew,  from  1806  to  1826 ; 
John  James  Chew,  from  1826  to  1867,  and  Robert  S.  Chew,  from 
1870  to  1886. 

On  the  27th  of  February,  1789,  we  are  told  that  "James  Mercer, 
Esq.,  Chief  Justice  of  the  General  Court  this  day  in  open  court  took 
the  oath  of  a  Judge  to  the  District  Court,  pursuant  to  an  act  of  the 


*  Governor  of  Virginia  in  1794-96,  and  afterwards  Attorney-General  of  the 
State. 

f  Appointed  a  Justice  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States  by  Presi- 
dent Washington. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  131 

General  Assembly  entitled  an  act  establishing  district  courts,  and 
for  regulating  the  General  Court,  which  is  ordered  to  be  certified 
accordingly."  From  this  entry  we  learn  that  James  Mercer,*  a  Fred- 
ericksburg lawyer,  was  not  only  the  chief  justice  of  the  General 
Court,  which  was  held  in  Kichmond,  but  the  judge  of  the  first  dis- 
trict court  held  in  Fredericksburg.  This  district  court  was  the 
first  court  held  in  the  town  having  jurisdiction  over  higher  crimes 
than  misdemeanors.  Before  the  institution  of  this  court  all  white 
persons  charged  with  felonies  were  sent  to  Eichmond  for  trial  by 
the  General  Court. 

From  the  records  of  the  hustings  court  it  appears  that  the  "Gen- 
tlemen Justices"  for  many  years  after  the  introduction  of  United 
States  money  entered  up  fines  and  judgments  in  pounds,  shillings 
and  pence.  The  clerk  used  dollars  and  cents  in  entering  up  costs 
as  early  as  1795,  but  the  court  did  not  adopt  the  American  count 
until  about  July,  1797.  It  is  also  noticeable  that  the  clerk  in 
nearly  all  entries  placed  the  dollar  mark  after  the  figures,  instead 
of  in  front  of  them,  according  to  the  present  custom. 

The  first  intimation  that  the  town  needed  a  watch  or  police,  in 
addition  to  the  town  sergeant,  is  given  in  an  order  of  the  court, 
entered  April  25,  1801,  when  it  was  "ordered  that  the  sergeant  of 
this  corporation  do  (within  the  time  limited  for  the  collection  of 
the  other  taxes  in  this  corporation)  collect  of  the  housekeepers, 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  this  court,  two  per  cent,  on  the  amount 
of  their  rents,  agreeable  to  the  assessed  value  thereof,  and  that  he 
pay  the  same  to  the  chamberlain  to  be  appropriated  to  paying  a 
watch  to  be  kept  in  said  corporation,  the  same  being  this  day  levied 
for  that  purpose." 

On  March  27,  1802,  the  grand  jury  of  the  corporation  presented 
"as  a  nuisance  the  numerous  obstructions  in  the  streets,  particu- 
larly in  St.  George  street  lot,  burying  the  dead  in  George  and 
Princess  Ann  streets ;  also  the  irregular  burying  in  the  ground  west 
of  and  adjoining  Prince  Edward  street."  The  most  of  the  obstruc- 
tions complained  of  were  on  Hanover  street,  west  of  Princess  Ann, 


*  Wrote  Mary  Washington's  will  and  was  one  of  the  witnesses  to  her  signa- 
ture. 


132  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

and  on  George  street,  from  Main  to  the  river.  The  burying  ground 
adjoining  Prince  Edward  street  about  twenty-five  years  ago  was 
converted  into  Hurkanip  park. 

The  court  had  been  in  existence  more  than  twenty-two  years  be- 
fore any  record  is  found  where  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  of  any 
denomination,  qualified  to  perform  the  rites  of  matrimony.  It 
may  have  been  that  the  law  did  not  require  such  qualification 
prior  to  1804,  and  was  enacted  that  year.  At  any  rate,  the  first 
one  to  appear  before  the  court  was  on  the  24th  day  of  December, 
1804.  On  that  day  "Benj.  Essex,  having  produced  to  the  court 
credentials  of  his  ordination  and  of  his  being  in  regular  communion 
with  the  Methodist  Society,  and  having  taken  the  oath  of  fidelity  to 
the  Commonwealth  and  entered  into  bond  with  security  according 
to  law,  a  testimonial  is  granted  him  to  celebrate  the  rites  of  matri- 
mony according  to  the  forms  and  customs  of  the  said  Methodist 
church."  Similar  orders  were  entered  by  the  court  for  ministers  of 
other  denominations  as  they  applied  to  the  court.  From  the  re- 
cord we  find  they  applied  as  follows:  Samuel  Wilson,  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  September  22,  180G;  Samuel  Low,  of  the  Epis- 
copal church,  September  8,  1808,  and  Win.  James,  of  the  Baptist 
church,  June  13,  1811.  So  it  is  found  that  as  early  as  1811  any 
one  could  be  married  in  Fredericksburg,  according  to  the  customs 
of  the  Methodist,  Presbyterian,  Episcopalian  and  Baptist  churches. 

On  the  24th  of  December,  1805,  John  T.  Lomax  and  Carter  L. 
Stevenson  qualified  to  practise  law  in  the  hustings  court.  They 
were  two  leading  citizens  of  the  town  and  served  the  public  long 
and  faithfully.  John  T.  Lomax  afterwards  was  made  judge  of  the 
circuit  court  and  one  of  the  judges  of  the  district  court.  He  was 
also  the  author  of  several  law  books.  Mr.  Stevenson  was  thirty- 
five  years  Commonwealth's  attorney  in  the  town,  holding  the  office 
a  longer  period  than  any  other  attorney,  before  or  since  his  day. 

The  first  notary  public  to  qualify  in  the  hustings  court  was  John 
Metcalfe.  He  was  appointed  by  Governor  James  Barbour,  and  on 
the  12th  day  of  November,  1812,  came  into  court  and  produced  his 
commission  as  a  notary  public,  "whereupon  the  said  John  Met- 
calfe took  the  oath  of  fidelitv  to  the  Commonwealth,  and  that  he 


The  Baptist  Church. 
(See  page  209) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  133 

will  without  favor  or  partiality,  honestly,  intelligently  and  faith- 
fully discharge  the  duties  of  a  notary  public." 

REGULATING  THE  CURRENCY. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century  "paper  money"  super- 
seded tobacco  and  tobacco  warehouse  receipts  as  currency,  and 
therefore  much  of  it  was  issued.  The  notes  of  the  denomination 
of  one  dollar,  and  more,  were  generally  designated  as  bills,  while 
those  below  one  dollar  were  called  "shin  plasters."  At  first  these 
notes  were  issued  by  States,  cities  and  banks,  but  in  a  few  years  in- 
corporated companies,  and  sometimes  individuals,  issued  them. 
These  notes  were  not  always  taken  at  their  face  value,  especially 
when  they  were  found  any  distance  from  their  place  of  issue. 

This  being  the  case,  it  was  difficult  for  the  people  to  distinguish 
between  the  good  and  the  doubtful,  or  to  fix  the  proper  rate  of 
discount.  Therefore  the  courts  took  the  matter  in  hand.  The 
question  was  considered  and  passed  upon,  for  the  first  time  in  our 
courts,  on  the  14th  of  March,  1816,  the  subject  being  the  difference 
between  the  paper  currency  of  Virginia  and  the  bank  notes  of  other 
places,  which  were  found  in  circulation  in  Fredericksburg.  Hav- 
ing properly  investigated  and  reached  a  conclusion,  the  court  de- 
clared and  entered  on  record,  as  follows : 

"It  appears  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  court  that  the  chartered  bank 
notes  of  the  District  of  Columbia,  State  of  North  Carolina,  and  cities 
of  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  are  current  in  this  town,  and  it  is 
the  opinion  of  the  court  that  the  chartered  bank  notes  of  the  District 
of  Columbia,  when  compared  with  the  chartered  bank  notes  of  Vir- 
ginia, are  at  a  depreciation  of  six  per  cent. ;  that  the  said  notes  of 
the  cities  of  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore  are  at  a  depreciation  of 
five  per  cent,  and  that  the  said  notes  of  the  State  of  North  Carolina 
are  of  equal  value  with  the  said  notes  of  Virginia." 

A  similar  declaration  was  made  by  the  court  each  year  for  several 
years  thereafter. 

On  the  10th  day  of  November,  1831,  the  will  of  Thomas  Seddon* 


*  Mr.  Thomas  Seddon  was  the  father  of  Hon.  James  A.  Seddon,  Confederate 
Secretary  of  War,  and  lived  in  the  residence  now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr. 
George  W.  Shepherd. 


134  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

was  admitted  to  probate.  Philip  Alexander,  John  Moncure  and 
Arthur  A.  Morson  were  appointed  and  qualified  as  executors  and 
entered  into  bond,  without  security,  the  deceased  requesting  that 
none  be  required,  in  the  sum  of  $240,000,  it  being  the  largest  bond 
ever  before  required  by  the  court.  Appraisers  were  appointed  by 
the  court  to  appraise  his  property  in  the  town  of  Fredericksburg 
and  the  counties  of  Spotsylvania,  Stafford,  Prince  William,  Cul- 
peper,  Fauquier,  Shenandoah  and  Page,  and  they  were  ordered  to 
make  returns  to  this  court. 

The  court  entered  the  following  certificate  on  its  records  on  the 
12th  day  of  January,  1832:  "The  court  orders  it  to  be  certified 
that  it  was  proved  to  their  satisfaction  by  the  evidence  of  Francis 
S.  Scott,  a  witness  sworn  in  court,  that  Major  Robert  Forsythe, 
of  the  Revolutionary  army,  had  two  children,  one  of  whom,  Robert, 
died  under  age  and  unmarried,  and  the  other  son,  John,  is  now 
alive,  being  the  Senator  in  Congress  from  Georgia." 

THE  POOR  DEBTOR'S  PRISON  BOUNDS. 

In  the  olden  times,  when  some  claim  that  the  people  were  more 
honest  and  just  and  the  laws  more  righteous  than  they  are  now, 
a  person  who  failed  or  refused  to  pay  his  debts  could,  by  proper 
process,  be  placed  in  "prison  bounds,"  and  kept  there  until  he  ex- 
hibited to  the  court  a  schedule  of  his  property,  made  under  oath. 
If  he  had  nothing  more  in  the  opinion  of  the  court,  than  a  reason- 
able allowance  under  the  law,  the  court  could  discharge  him  as 
a  poor  debtor  from  custody.  For  more  than  fifty  years  the  prison 
bounds  was  the  square  on  which  the  jail  is  located.  The  poor  deb- 
tor was  allowed  the  full  width  of  the  streets  around  the  square,  but 
was  not  allowed  to  enter  a  building  on  the  opposite  side.  Many 
distinguished  men,  it  is  said,  have  been  confined  to  this  central 
point  in  the  town  because  they  were  unable  at  the  time  to  meet 
their  obligations. 

In  1840  the  court  extended  the  liberty  of  the  poor  debtor  by 
enlarging  the  prison  bounds  to  four  squares,  probably  because  the 
law  had  relaxed  its  hold  upon  him.  He  could  roam  anywhere  on 
.those  four  squares  and  in  the  streets  bounding  them,  but  he  could 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  135 

not  go  beyond  the  limits  without  being  in  contempt  and  becom- 
ing liable  to  additional  punishment  by  the  court.  This  order  of 
extension  was  made  on  the  11th  of  June,  1840,  and  recorded  as  fol- 
lows: 

"The  court  doth  fix  the  prison  bounds  as  follows,  to-wit:  Be- 
ginning at  the  intersection  of  Caroline  and  William  streets,  thence 
up  William  to  Charles  street,  thence  down  Charles  street  to  Han- 
over street  thence  down  Hanover  street  to  Caroline  street,  thence 
up  Caroline  street  to  William  street,  including  the  footways  on  each 
side." 

And  now  having  escaped  the  prison  bounds  we  will  visit  the  pub- 
lic buildings  of  the  town  and  take  a  peep  at  them. 


CHAPTER  X 

The  Public  Buildings— The  Jail— Courthouse— Town  Hall— Fire- 
house — School  Buildings— Wallace  Library — Normal  School 
— Government  Building,  &c. 

As  it  was  found  necessary  to  have  courts  to  punish  crimes,  to 
settle  disputes  and  to  enforce  law  and  order  in  the  Commonwealth 
for  the  good  of  society,  it  was  also  found  necessary  to  have  build- 
ings in  which  to  hold  the  courts,  to  keep  their  records,  and  a  place 
to  confine  criminals  until  they  were  tried  by  the  courts,  and  then 
to  punish  them  after  conviction  for  their  crimes.  Therefore,  the 
act  that  gave  Fredericksburg  a  name  and  a  place  among  the  towns 
of  the  country,  also  gave  it  the  authority,  and  enjoined  it  as  a 
duty,  to  erect  a  courthouse  and  a  jail,  which  was  soon  done;  and 
it  is  almost  certain  that  whatever  court  Fredericksburg  had  from 
1727,  when  it  was  first -incorporated,  to  1781,  when  it  was  chartered 
by  the  Legislature  of  Virginia,  was  held  in  that  courthouse  and  that 
the  criminals  were  kept  and  punished  in  that  jail. 

When  the  hustings  court  was  organized  its  sessions  were  held  in 
the  "coffee-house,"  but  as  soon  as  preparations  could  be  made  it  was 
held  in  the  old  town  hall,  or  market-house,  on  Main  street,  which 
appears  to  have  had  rooms  sufficient  for  all  public  uses,  as  it  was  a 
favorite  resort  for  the  "lovers  of  balls  and  parties  and  other  public 
gatherings." 

The  first  thing,  however,  that  claimed  the  attention  of  the  court 
was  the  repairing  of  the  "courthouse  and  common  gaol,  where 
criminals  could  be  placed  and  safely  kept  and  in  due  time  brought 
before  the  court."  The  first  jail  erected  for  the  town  seems  to 
have  been  built  partly  with  brick,  and,  from  a  false  notion  of 
economy,  was  entirely  too  small,  was  uncomfortable  and  not  fit  to 
keep  prisoners  in.  This  was  so  patent  that  the  matter  was,  at 
various  times,  and  for  several  years,  brought  to  the  attention  of 
the  court.  Various  grand  juries,  upon  examination,  had  reported 
that  it  was  not  a  suitable  place  in  which  to  confine  prisoners. 

In  1803  a  grand  jury  brought  in  an  indictment  against  the  jail 

[  136  ] 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  137 

as  a  nuisance,  and  charged  that  a  colored  criminal,  who  had  been 
confined  therein,  had  contracted  a  disease  of  which  he  afterwards 
died.  This  colored  man  was  arrested,  charged  with  entering  a 
house  in  the  night  time  and  stealing  goods  therefrom,  which  was  a 
capital  offence.  He  was  tried  by  the  hustings  court,  after  consider- 
able delay,  and  sentenced  to  be  hung,  but  was  recommended  to  the 
mercy  of  the  Governor,  who  pardoned  him. 

It  was  while  the  colored  man  was  awaiting  a  trial,  and  after- 
wards the  action  of  the  Governor,  that  it  was  claimed  he  contracted 
a  disease,  of  which  he  died  soon  after  his  liberation.  Upon  this 
report  of  the  grand  jury  the  court  ordered  the  small,  brick  jail  torn 
down  and  a  new  one  of  stone  to  be  erected  in  its  place.  This  new 
building  was  completed  in  1805,  when  Wm.  Taylor  was  appointed 
by  the  court  and  ordered  to  "sell  the  brick  and  other  materials  of 
the  old  jail  in  this  corporation  on  a  credit  of  sixty  days  and  make 
return  to  this  court." 

This  jail  stood  on  Princess  Ann  street,  just  north  of  the  present 
clerk's  office,  and,  long  before  it  was  torn  down  and  removed,  was 
"an  eye-sore  to  the  public,"  and  especially  to  those  who  lived  in  that 
locality.  In  1851,  when  it  was  decided  to  build  a  new  courthouse, 
it  was  also  decided  to  move  the  jail.  This  was  a  joint  action  of  the 
court  and  Common  Council,  and  it  met  with  serious  opposition  by 
many  of  the  tax-payers,  on  the  ground  that  it  was  a  waste  of  public 
money,  the  present  jail  being  all  that  was  needed. 

But  the  order  was  given,  and  the  jail  was  torn  down  and  rebuilt 
in  rear  of  the  courthouse,  the  public  scales,  which  stood  on  the 
spot,  to  be  "moved  to  some  more  convenient  place."  The  most  of 
the  stone  in  the  old  jail  was  placed  in  the  new  one,  but  a  portion  of 
it  was  taken  for  the  foundation  of  the  fence,  which,  until  some 
six  years  ago,  enclosed  the  courthouse  yard  and  sustained  the 
wall  on  George  street  and  in  Jail  alley.  The  present  granite  align- 
ment of  the  courthouse  lot  is  a  great  improvement  on  the  old  iron 
fence. 

THE    COURTHOUSE. 

The  first  courthouse  the  town  had  was  built  on  a  part  of  the 
ground  occupied  by  the  present  building  and  stood  several  feet  back 


138  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

from  the  street.  It  was  a  small,  brick  structure  and  very  uncom- 
fortable. It  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  second  courthouse  built 
for  the  town,  the  first  having  been  built  soon  after  the  town  was 
laid  out.  As  early  as  1820  the  courts  complained  of  the  building 
they  had  to  occupy  and  declared  that  it  was  unsuitable  for  court 
purposes.  Various  requests  and  complaints  were  made  and  orders 
issued  to  the  Common  Council  by  the  court,  looking  to  the  erection 
of  a  new  and  commodious  building,  but  the  Council  appeared  to 
take  no  action  in  the  matter,  except  to  lay  on  the  table  all  communi- 
cations from  the  court  on  the  subject. 

It  appears  that  the  town  and  county  were  joint  owners  in  the  jail 
and  courthouse,  they  being  public  property  and  the  town  then  being 
a  part  of  the  county,  and  possibly  contributed  some  way  to  their 
erection.  This  may  account  to  some  extent  for  the  tardiness  of  the 
Council  in  taking  action,  but  whether  it  does  or  not,  the  court  was 
not  satisfied  and  did  not  attempt  to  conceal  its  displeasure. 

Finding  its  requests  and  orders  disregarded,  the  court  issued  an 
order  declaring  that  the  Council  must  build  a  new  courthouse  or 
provide  a  better  place  for  holding  court,  but  even  this  did  not 
appear  to  hurry  the  Council,  which  moved  along  in  its  own  quiet 
way.  This  controversy  went  on  for  several  years,  the  court  request- 
ing, ordering,  even  threatening,  without  avail.  It  finally  reached  a 
point  where  it  seems  to  have  exhausted  its  patience  and  determined 
to  assert  its  authority. 

On  the  14th  of  June,  1849,  the  court  being  composed  of  Mayor 
Semple  and  Justices  Wm.  H.  White  and  Peter  Goolrick,  the  follow- 
ing order  was  made  and  entered  on  the  record  book : 

"It  is  ordered,  that  Thomas  B.  Barton,  John  L.  Marye,  Robert 
B.  Semple,  Wm.  C.  Beale  and  John  J.  Chew,  who  are  hereby  ap- 
pointed a  committee  for  that  purpose,  do  examine  and  report  to 
this  court,  some  plan  for  the  enlargement  and  repairs  or  rebuilding 
of  the  courthouse  for  this  corporation,  for  the  convenient  adminis- 
tration of  justice;  and  the  said  committee  are  also  requested  to 
examine  and  report  whether  any  other  public  building,  belonging  to 
this  corporation,  can  be  so  changed  as  to  answer  the  above  purpose, 
and  to  inquire  and  report  the  probable  cost  of  such  plan  or  plans 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  139 

as  they  may  approve  and  report  upon,  and  it  is  ordered  that  the 
justices  for  this  corporation  be  summoned  to  attend  here  at  the 
next  court  to  consider  and  decide  upon  said  report." 

While  this  order  and  the  appointment  of  the  committee,  with  its 
instructions,  created  considerable  comment,  it  did  not  seem  to  excite 
the  Council  or  precipitate  any  action  favorable  to  the  proposed 
building.  At  the  next  court  eight  justices  were  present  in  answer 
to  the  summons  issued  at  the  last  session  of  the  court.  Those 
present  were  E.  B.  Semple,  Bobert  Dickey,  Beverly  E.  Wellford, 
fm.  C.  Beale,  Wm.  H.  White,  Peter  Goolrick,  Wm.  Slaughter  and 
Wm.  Warren. 

The  report  of  the  committee  appointed  at  the  previous  court,  was 
made,  and  the  court  declared  "that  in  obedience  to  the  act  of  the 
General  Assembly,  which  requires  that  courts  for  the  corporations 
within  this  Commonwealth  should  cause  to  be  erected  one  good  and 
convenient  courthouse,  that  it  is  necessary  and  proper  to  build  a 
courthouse  for  this  corporation,"  and  the  report  of  the  committee 
"having  been  returned  to  court,  and  therewith  an  order  from  the 
county  court  of  Spotsylvania,  releasing  to  this  court  all  title  and 
interest  the  said  county  has  to  the  jail  and  courthouse,  within  this 
corporation,  and  the  said  lots  on  which  they  stand,  being  considered 
by  this  court,  it  is  approved  and  confirmed." 

The  court  then  appointed  a  commission,  consisting  of  Mayor 
Semple,  Beverly  E.  Wellford,  Wm.  H.  White,  Thomas  B.  Barton 
and  John  L.  Marye,  who  were  instructed  to  contract  with  some 
responsible  party  to  erect  a  good  and  substantial  courthouse  on  lots 
42  and  44,  or  either  of  them,  according  to  the  plan  submitted  to  the 
court,  or  that  plan  modified,  if  it  was  found  necessary,  the  cost  not 
to  exceed  four  thousand  dollars.  The  commission  was  to  report 
from  time  to  time  to  the  court. 

This  action  looked  as  if  the  court  intended  to  exhaust  its  powers 
or  have  a  new  courthouse,  but  a  few  days'  mixing  with  the  people 
seems  to  have  raised  a  doubt  in  the  minds  of  the  members  of  the 
court  as  to  the  wisdom  of  their  action.  At  any  rate,  when  the 
August  term  came  the  full  corps  of  magistrates  was  present.  "A 
petition,  and  counter  petition  of  the  citizens  of  Fredericksburg,  in 


140  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

relation  to  the  action  of  the  court  upon  the  subject  of  rebuilding 
the  courthouse,  were  severally  presented,  when,  on  a  motion  made 
to  rescind  the  order  for  building  the  courthouse  and  laying  a  levy 
therefor,  the  vote  stood  as  follows : 

For  rescinding,  Robert  B.  Semple,  Peter  Goolrick,  Wm.  C.  Beale, 
Robert  Dicky,  4.  Against  rescinding,  Beverley  R.  Welford,  "Wm.  H. 
'White,  Wm.  Slaughter,  Wm.  Warren,  4.  The  court  being  divided 
on  the  question  of  repealing  or  enforcing  its  own  order,  the  subject 
was  dropped  so  far  as  any  action  of  the  court  was  concerned,  and 
was  not  again  brought  up  for  several  months. 

At  the  April  term,  in  1850,  however,  the  court  respectfully  re- 
quested the  Council  to  appoint  a  day  to  have  an  election,  that  the 
voters  might  express  their  wishes  as  to  whether  or  not  a  levy  should 
be  made  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  courthouse.  This  paper, 
although  it  placed  the  court  before  the  Council  in  the  attitude  of 
an  humble  suppliant,  was  read  before  the  Council  and  laid  on 
the  table,  as  all  former  papers  from  that  source  had  been. 

This  seems  to  have  ended  the  efforts  of  the  court  to  secure  a  new 
courthouse  or  the  repairing  of  the  old,  either  by  entreaties,  threats 
or  by  the  power  given  it  under  the  acts  of  the  General  Assembly. 
Thus  things  continued  for  one  year,  although  the  question  was 
warmly  discussed  by  the  citizens,  who  were  very  much  divided  on 
the  subject.  An  election  was  to  be  held  the  following  March,  and 
the  court,  finding  itself  defeated  in  all  former  efforts,  transferred 
the  question  to  the  people  in  their  selections  for  members  of  the 
Council.  This  was  a  wise  move  for  the  friends  of  the  measure. 
The  election  was  held  and  a  Council  in  favor  of  building  a  new 
courthouse  was  elected.  The  eyes  of  the  public  were  now  turned 
from  the  hustings  court  to  the  Common  Council  which  had  just 
been  elected.     The  contest  was  not  long  delayed. 

The  election  for  Councilmen  was  held  on  the  third  Monday  in 
March,  1851,  and  at  the  meeting,  held  on  the  first  day  of  April. 
Messrs.  Thomas  B.  Barton,  John  James  Chew,  J.  Minor,  Wm. 
Allen  and  Beverly  R.  Wellford  were  appointed  a  committee  by  the 
Council  to  consider  the  subject  of  the  location  and  erection  of  a 
new  courthouse  and  report  thereon  all  matters  connected  with  the 
cost,  style  and  site  of  said  building. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  141 

The  next  meeting  of  the  Council  was  held  on  the  26th  of  April. 
It  was  one  of  unusual  importance,  because  the  committee  on  the 
new  courthouse  was  to  report,  and  every  member  except  two  was  in 
his  seat,  and  the  chamber  was  crowded  to  its  full  capacity  by  citi- 
zens, who  felt  a  special  interest  in  the  subject.  The  committee  was 
in  favor  of  erecting  a  new  courthouse,  and  therefore  reported  to  the 
Council  plans  and  specifications  for  the  building,  drawn  by  J.  B. 
Benwick,  Jr.,  of  Baltimore,  giving  the  style  and  the  probable  cost 
at  $14,000. 

The  committee  recommended  the  site  of  the  old  courthouse,  the 
removal  of  the  jail  to  the  back  of  the  new  building  and  the  removal 
of  the  clerk's  office  and  engine  houses.  The  report  was  adopted 
and  the  committee  was  instructed  to  contract  for  the  erection  of 
the  building  inside  of  the  estimated  cost.  This  looked  as  if  the 
Council  meant  business,  and  for  the  next  three  weeks  the  question 
was  warmly  discussed,  and  the  opponents  of  the  measure  undertook 
to  prevent  the  great  waste  of  money,  as  they  termed  it,  by  petition 
and  other  influences.  The  Council  met  on  the  21st  of  May  to 
receive  the  report  of  the  committee,  appointed  to  contract  for  the 
building,  and  every  member  was  present.  The  interest  was  in- 
tense and  the  opposition  determined. 

The  committee  made  its  report  and  the  clerk  of  the  Council 
made  this  record :  "A  contract  with  Wm.  M.  Baggett,  for  building 
a  new  courthouse,  jail,  &c,  for  the  sum  of  $13,850,  together  with 
drawings  and  specifications  of  said  buildings  made  by  James  Ben- 
wick, architect,  and  to  be  taken  as  part  of  said  contract,  and  a  bond 
executed  by  said  Baggett,  J.  Metcalfe,  J.  S.  Caldwell,  and  George 
Aler,  in  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  dollars,  for  the  faithful  perform- 
ance of  said  contract,  by  said  Baggett,  were  submitted  to  the 
Council  by  T.  B.  Barton,  chairman  of  the  committee  appointed 
for  that  purpose,  for  their  approval  or  rejection. 

"Whereupon,  and  before  any  action  was  had  thereon,  Mr.  J.  M. 
Whittemore,  asked  and  obtained  leave  to  be  heard  by  the  Council  in 
support  of  a  petition,  signed  by  one  hundred  and  seventy-two  of  the 
voters  of  the  corporation,  remonstrating  against  the  extravagant 
scheme  of  pulling  down  the  jail  and  other  buildings  on  the  court- 


142  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

house  lot,  and  praying  the  appointment  of  a  committee  of  their  own 
board,*  to  contract  for  the  erection  of  a  spacious  and  comfortable 
courthouse  at  a  cost  not  exceeding  six  thousand  dollars.  Said 
petition  was  accordingly  presented  by  Mr.  Whittemore,  and,  being 
read,  was,  on  motion,  laid  on  the  table. 

"On  motion,  said  contract  was  then  approved  and  confirmed  by 
the  following  vote  to-wit :  Ayes :  F.  Slaughter,  Joseph  Sanford,  J. 
Minor,  D.  H.  Gordon,  J.  Pritchard,  L.  J.  Huffman,  B.  S.  Herndon, 
Thomas  F.  Knox,  Charles  C.  Wellford  and  John  J.  Berrey,  10. 
Xays:  Hugh  Scott  and  Wm.  Allen,  2.  And  it  was  ordered  that 
the  Mayor,  as  evidence  of  said  approval  and  confirmation,  do  sign 
an  endorsement  to  that  effect  on  said  contract,  and  cause  the  cor- 
poration seal  to  be  affixed  thereto,  and  that  said  contract  together 
with  the  drawings  and  specifications,  be  then  delivered  to  the  clerk 
of  the  hustings  court  for  safe  keeping,"  &c. 

After  this  action  was  completed  the  Council  appointed  Messrs. 
Thomas  B.  Barton,  John  James  Chew,  J.  Minor,  Wm.  Allen  and 
Beverly  R.  Wellford  a  committee  to  superintend  the  entire  work 
and  see  that  it  was  done  according  to  the  plans  and  specifications. 
And  so  a  question  that  had  vexed  the  people  of  the  town  for  more 
than  thirty  years,  and  had  caused  considerable  friction  between  the 
hustings  court  and  the  Common  Council,  was  settled  and  the  town 
was  to  have  a  new  courthouse. 

The  building  was  completed  in  1852,  when  the  courts  and  clerks 
were  removed  to  spacious  and  comfortable  quarters,  and  have  re- 
mained there  to  the  present  day.  The  south  wing  on  the  lower 
floor  has  been  used  for  fire  engines  until  the  companies  were  dis- 
banded prior  to  the  war;  but,  for  several  years  in  the  past,  they 
have  been  used  for  the  public  schools  of  the  city,  while  the  large 
room  on  the  second  floor  is  used  for  an  armory.  The  vault,  for  the 
records  and  papers  of  all  the  courts  of  the  past  and  present,  as  well 
as  of  those  of  the  Common  Council,  is  ample  for  the  purpose  and 
absolutely  fire-proof.  The  building  is  one  of  the  handsomest  in 
the  State  and  always  attracts  the  attention  of  strangers. 


*  Thomas  B.  Barton,  John  James  Chew  and  Beverly  R.  Wellford,  of  the  com- 
mittee, were  not  members  of  the  Council,  but  appointed  from  the  body  of  the 
citizens. 


'The  Lodge"  at  Mary  Washington  Monument.     Constructed  of 
Virginia  Granite  for   Superintendent  of 
Monument  and  Grounds. 
(See  page  160) 


The  "Wallace  Library,"  now  near  its  completion.    The  building  and 
library  a  donation  by  the  late  Capt.  C.  Wistar  Wallace. 
(See  page  143) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  143 

The  old  courthouse,  that  was  torn  down  to  make  room  for  the 
new  one,  was  provided  with  a  bell  for  calling  the  people  together. 
It  was  used  to  call  public  meetings,  to  notify  the  people  of  the 
assembling  of  the  courts,  and,  until  another  bell  was  provided  for 
the  purpose,  to  sound  the  alarms  for  fires.  This  bell  now  hangs  in 
the  belfry  of  the  present  courthouse.  It  was  presented  to  the 
town  by  Silas  Wood  in  1828  and  has  been  on  duty  more  than  three- 
quarters  of  a  century.  Mr.  Wood  married  a  Fredericksburg  lady, 
and  it  is  reported  that  he  was  a  believer  in  the  adage  that  a  fair 
exchange  (rather  an  exchange  for  the  fair)  was  not  robbery; 
therefore,  as  he  had  taken  one  bell  (belle)  from  Fredericksburg 
he  ought  to  give  it  another  in  exchange.  The  bell  has  this  inscrip- 
tion on  it:  "Revere,  Boston.  Presented  to  the  Corporation  of 
Fredericksburg  by  Silas  Wood,  A.  D.  1828." 

MARKET-HOUSE,    OR    TOWN    HALL. 

The  first  market-house,  or  town  hall,  Fredericksburg  had,  of 
which  we  have  any  account,  either  by  record  or  tradition,  was 
located  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street,  just  below  the  present 
"Market  alley."  It  was  constructed  mainly  of  brick,  and  had 
several  rooms  in  it  that  were  used  for  the  courts,  the  Common 
Council,  balls,  sociables,  public  meetings  and  lodge  rooms.  The 
Common  Council  held  its  sessions  in  that  building,  when  it  organ- 
ized at  the  "coffee-house,"  which  no  doubt  was  one  of  the  rooms  in 
the  market-house,  after  the  rooms  were  properly  fitted  up,  and  con- 
tinued there  from  1781  until  the  building  was  taken  down  in  1813. 

At  what  period  the  market-house  was  built  we  do  not  know,  but 
it  was  certainly  prior  to  1752,  as  we  have  record  evidence  of  its 
existence  at  that  time,  and  also  evidence  that  it  needed  repairs, 
which  shows  that  it  had  been  standing  for  some  years.  During  the 
Revolutionary  war  colonial  troops  used  a  portion  of  the  building 
for  barracks,  and  it  was  in  this  house  that  the  great  peace  ball  was 
given  in  1783,  which  was  attended  by  General  Washington  and  his 
mother.  In  the  year  1813  this  old  building  was  taken  down  and 
the  present  market-house  erected. 

While  this  information  was  obtained  from  Benj.  Peyton,  a  very 


144  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

old  colored  man,  who  died  some  twenty-five  years  ago,  who  assisted 
in  taking  down  the  old  and  erecting  the  new  building,  the  truth 
of  it  is  borne  out  by  the  records.  He  was  a  youth  at  the  time, 
learning  the  trade  of  brick  mason,  and  was  employed  on  both  build- 
ings. The  present  market-house  is  a  substantial,  two-story  brick 
building,  with  market  lot  in  the  rear,  market  stalls  in  the  base- 
ment and  work  shops  for  the  city  water  and  gas  works.  It  has 
two  wings,  which  have  been  at  different  times  used  for  school  rooms 
and  printing  offices,  but  are  now  used,  the  south  wing  for  the  Coun- 
cil Chamber  and  the  north  wing  for  the  commissioner  of  revenue 
and  city  tax  collector.  The  second  floor  is  used  by  the  Washington 
Guards  as  a  reading  room.  In  1824  the  building  was  brilliantly 
illuminated  and  beautifully  decorated  for  a  grand  ball  and  recep- 
tion in  honor  of  Gen.  Lafayette,  who  was  then  visiting  this  country, 
and  passed  through  Fredericksburg,  where  he  remained  for  several 
days. 

THE    FIRE-HOUSE. 

The  substantial  brick  house  for  the  Fire  Department,  just  south 
of  the  courthouse,  was  erected  in  1890.  It  is  two  stories  high, 
with  a  belfry  on  the  front  part  of  the  building.  The  first  floor 
is  used  for  the  reels,  the  hook  and  ladder  truck  and  other  fire 
apparatus.  The  belfry,  or  tower,  is  so  constructed  that  in  addition 
to  its  holding  the  fire  bell,  the  fire  hose  can  be  suspended  in  it  for 
drying  after  a  fire. 

SCHOOL  BUILDINGS. 

At  present  we  have  but  two  school  buildings,  one  at  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Lewis  streets,  known  as  the  Union  House,  and  the  other 
at  the  corner  of  Princess  Ann  and  Wolfe  streets.  The  historical 
Union  House,  used  by  the  white  pupils,  was  built  in  the  first  part 
of  the  last  century  by  a  Mr.  Ross  for  a  residence  and  is  quite  sub- 
stantial, being  constructed  of  brick  and  spacious,  and  is  three 
stories  high,  with  a  basement.  Mr.  Eoss  was  a  Frenchman,  and 
royally  entertained  Gen.  Lafayette  and  his  retinue  when  he  visited 
Fredericksburg  in  1824.     Seven  grades  occupy  this  building,  while 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  145 

three  grades  are  provided  for  elsewhere.  The  school  authorities, 
in  the  discharge  of  their  duties,  have  repeatedly  called  attention  of 
the  City  Council  to  the  fact  that  this  building  was  inadequate  for 
the  rapidly  increasing  school  population;  that  it  was  constructed 
for  a  residence  and  not  for  school  purposes,  the  rooms  being  too 
small  for  the  large  number  of  pupils  that  had  to  be  crowded  in 
them. 

A  year  ago  conditions  were  investigated  by  the  School  Com- 
mittee of  the  City  Council  (Prof.  S.  W.  Somerville,  chairman), 
which  resulted  in  a  movement  of  said  committee  to  provide  a  suit- 
able building  for  the  schools.  Soon  plans  and  specifications  were 
drawn  and  laid  before  the  Council  which  were  fully  considered  and 
finally  adopted,  and  the  committee  was  instructed  to  advertise  for 
bids,  let  the  contract  and  have  the  building  completed  as  soon  as 
possible.  Work  is  now  progressing  on  the  building,  which  is  to  be 
quite  a  commodious  one,  with  twelve  rooms,  with  all  the  modern 
improvements  as  to  heating,  fire  protection,  &c.  The  contract 
price  (Mr.  E.  G.  Heflin,  contractor,  and  Mr.  Frank  P.  Stearns,  in- 
spector,) is  $37,700,  and  the  building  is  to  be  completed  by  Feb- 
ruary 1,  1909. 

The  only  objection  that  any  one  could  offer  against  these  changes 
(and  no  one  is  likely  to  offer  it)  is  the  demolition  of  the  venerable 
landmark,  so  long  known  as  the  Union  House  and  the  headquarters 
of  Gen.  Lafayette  when  he  visited  the  town  for  the  last  time. 

The  school  building  at  the  corner  of  Princess  Ann  and  Wolfe 
streets,  a  two-story,  brick  structure,  with  four  spacious  rooms,  was 
constructed  for,  and  is  occupied  by,  the  colored  schools.  For  years 
after  its  construction  it  was  found  to  be  large  enough  to  accom- 
modate all  the  grades  of  that  school,  but  when  a  grammar  depart- 
ment was  added  this  building  was  found  to  be  fully  occupied  and 
the  high  grade  had  to  be  provided  for  elsewhere. 

THE  WALLACE  LIBRARY. 

By  his  will  Capt.  C.  Wistar  Wallace,  a  valuable  citizen  of  the 
town,  who  was  born  and  raised  in  Fredericksburg,  and  who  died 
May  20,  1907,  left  to  the  town,  under  certain  conditions,  $15,000 


146  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

for  a  public  library,  which  was  to  bear  his  name.  The  conditions 
were  that  the  city  was  to  adopt  legal  papers  binding  itself  to 
establish  said  library,  within  three  years  of  the  donor's  death,  as  a 
permanent  institution  of  the  city  and  properly  maintain  the  same; 
that  the  city  was  not  to  expend  more  than  $5,000  of  the  legacy  for 
the  purchase  of  a  suitable  lot  and  the  erection  thereon  of  a  suitable 
library  building,  and  the  balance  of  the  legacy  was  to  be  expended 
for  the  purchase  of  books  for  the  library.  These  books  are  to  be 
purchased  by  a  board  not  to  exceed  five  members,  to  be  chosen  from 
time  to  time  by  the  President  of  the  University  of  Virginia,  Wash- 
ington and  Lee,  Richmond  College  and  Randolph  Macon  College. 
In  order  to  make  these  conditions  binding  upon  the  city,  it  was 
provided  that  necessary  legislation  should  be  procured  by  the 
General  Assembly  of  Virginia  as  might  be  necessary  to  authorize 
and  enable  the  city  to  comply  with  all  of  the  conditions  of  the 
bequest. 

The  whole  matter  having  been  laid  before  the  City  Council  and 
explained  by  the  city  attorney,  Mr.  St.  Geo.  R.  Fitzhugh,  and  dis- 
cussed, that  body  adopted  the  following : 

*Be  it  resolved,  that  the  city  of  Fredericksburg,  Va.,  decides  to 
establish  and  maintain  a  public  library  to  be  known  as  the  "Wallace 
Library,"  and  hereby  accepts  the  said  bequest  of  $15,000  upon  the 
conditions  and  according  to  the  terms  of  said  bequest,  and  hereby 
binds  itself  to  carry  out  the  same. 

Under  the  provisions  of  the  Code  of  Virginia  the  duty  of  ap- 
pointing the  board  of  directors  of  this  library  devolved  upon  Major 
Thomas  P.  Wallace,  Mayor  of  the  town,  the  Council  concurring. 
The  following  letter,  therefore,  was  communicated  to  the  Council 
by  the  Mayor : 

"I  herewith  transmit,  in  pursuance  to  the  resolution  of  your  hon- 
orable body,  passed  at  your  meeting  on  the  18th  day  of  July,  1907, 
the  following  named  citizens,  who  shall  constitute  the  board  of 
directors  contemplated  by  your  resolutions :  St.  Geo.  R.  Fitzhugh, 
S.  J.  Quinn,  A.  T.  Embrey,  Rev.  J.  W.  Roseboro,  D.  D.,  James  S. 
Knox,  E.  D.  Cole,  A.  P.  Rowe,  B.  P.  Willis  and  James  T.  Lowery. 


*  Council  proceedings,  July  18,  1907. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  147 

The  board  of  directors  organized  by  the  election  of  Mr.  St.  Geo. 
R.  Fitzhugh,  president,  and  S.  J.  Quinn,  clerk. 

The  Council  and  the  General  Assembly  united  in  permitting  the 
library  building  to  be  constructed  on  the  courthouse  lot,  and  the 
board  of  directors  authorized  the  construction  of  the  building  to  be 
proceeded  with  at  once.  It  is  a  two-story  house,  with  basement, 
and  is  now  nearing  completion.  It  is  constructed  under  the  direc- 
tion of  Mr.  Wm.  E.  Bradley,  chairman  of  the  Public  Property  Com- 
mittee, Mr.  Geo  W.  Wroten,  contractor,  and  Mr.  A.  M.  Garner, 
inspector. 

THE    NORMAL    SCHOOL    BUILDING. 

In  addition  to  these  public  buildings  the  General  Assembly  has 
appropriated  $25,000  and  will  supplement  that  with  $25,000  addi- 
tional to  construct  in  or  near  the  town  a  female  normal  school. 
The  board  of  directors  of  this  institution  are  now  endeavoring  to 
select  a  site  for  this  school,  and  will  likely  succeed  in  the  near 
future.  The  buildings  will  be  commenced  next  Spring  and  pushed 
to  completion. 

The  United  States  Government  has  also  appropriated  money  for 
the  erection  of  a  very  commodious  brick  building  on  the  corner  of 
Princess  Ann  and  Hanover  streets.  This  site  has  already  been  pur- 
chased by  the  government  and  will  soon  be  in  condition  for  the 
brick  masons  and  carpenters.  The  work,  however,  has  been  de- 
layed for  an  additional  appropriation,  in  order  to  enable  them  to 
construct  such  a  building  as  was  contemplated  by  the  architect  of 
the  postofnce  department.  When  the  building  is  completed  it  is  to- 
be  occupied  by  the  postoffice.  N 

Having  inspected  the  public  buildings  of  the  town,  and  discussed 
those  now  in  course  of  erection  and  those  which  soon  will  be,  we 
will  now  visit  the  private  historical  buildings  and  take  a  view  of 
the  monument  erected  by  the  ladies  of  the  country  to  Mary,  the 
mother  of  the  illustrious  Washington,  and  the  handsome  statue 
of  Gen.  Hugh  Mercer,  recently  erected  by  the  United  States  Gov- 
ernment, who  stands  upon  his  pedestal,  sword  in  hand,  ready  to 
strike  for  Liberty  and  Independence,  for  Truth  and  Victory.  They 
both  stand  on  Washington  avenue. 


CHAPTER  XI 

i 

Ancient  and  Historical  Buildings — Mary  Washington  Monument — 
Gen.  Mercer's  Statue — Mary  Washington's  Will,  &c. 

In  stating  that  Fredericksburg  has  more  ancient  reminiscent  and 
historical  buildings  than  any  other  town  of  its  size  m  this  country, 
we  do  not  fear  successful  contradiction.  Fredericksburg  is  one 
of  the  oldest  towns  in  the  State  and  has  from  its  settlement  been 
the  center  of  refinement  and  culture.  Here  the  young  men  of  this 
section  of  Virginia  were  taught  and  imbibed  those  principles  of 
liberty  and  justice  that  made  them  leaders  in  the  movement  against 
oppression,  which  resulted  in  our  constitutional  rights  and  religious 
liberty.  Here  they  were  equipped  for  all  the  duties  of  life  in  what- 
ever station  they  might  be  placed.  Here  was  the  home  and  birth- 
place of  men  who  commanded  armies,  controlled  navies,  swayed 
statesmen,  electrified  assemblies,  and  many  of  those  homes  and 
birth-houses  are  still  standing,  and  it  will  appear  but  natural  if 
they  shall  be  pointed  out  and  written  about  by  the  inhabitants  of 
Fredericksburg  with  patriotic  pride.  Notwithstanding  the  quaint 
architecture  of  many  of  them,  and  the  ravages  of  time  upon  them, 
they  are  dear  to  us  and  are  regarded  as  heirlooms  of  the  town  which 
have  witnessed  the  advent  and  exit  of  many  generations. 

Among  the  oldest  houses  now  in  Fredericksburg  are  the  resi- 
dence of  the  late  William  A.  Little,  the  Mary  Washington  House 
and  the  Rising  Sun  Hotel.  It  is  impossible  to  give  the  order  of 
seniority  of  these  buildings,  because  we  have  no  way  of  ascertaining 
when  they  were  built.  Mr.  Little,  several  years  ago,  so  renewed 
and  extended  his  residence  and  adorned  it  as  to  almost  destroy  its 
ancient  identity.  This  old  mansion  has  recently  passed  to  Mr. 
John  C.  Melville. 

The  Rising  Sun  Hotel,  located  on  the  west  side  of  Main  street, 
just  above  Fauquier,  is  one  of  the  oldest  buildings  now  standing. 
It  is  of  the  old  style  of  architecture  of  wooden  buildings  that  pre- 
vailed in  the  first  settlement  of  the  country,  which,  notwithstand- 
ing its  hoary  age  and  frequent  necessary  repairs,  has  never  been 

[148] 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  149 

changed.  In  the  first  of  the  eighteenth  century,  and  even  before 
the  Kevolutionary  war,  it  was  one  of  the  leading  hotels  of  the  town, 
and  was  the  stopping  place  of  many  of  the  Southern  senators, 
representatives  and  other  dignitaries  as  they  journey  to  and  from 
Washington  city. 

It 'is  claimed  that  the  eccentric  John  Kandolph,  of  Boanoke,  has 
more  than  once  addressed  the  people  of  the  town  from  the  steps  of 
this  building.  General  George  Weedon,  long  years  before  he 
entered  the  Colonial  Army  for  American  Independence,  kept  hotel 
in  this  house.  Just  prior  to  that  war  it  became  the  property  of 
General  Gustavus  B.  Wallace,  a  Kevolutionary  patriot,  and  it  has 
remained  in  the  Wallace  family  until  the  death  of  Capt.  C.  Wistar 
Wallace,  a  public  spirited  citizen,  a  little  over  one  year  ago.  At 
his  death,  May  20,  1907,  it  became  the  property  of  the  Society  for 
the  Preservation  of  the  Antiquities  of  Virginia,  by  the  provisions 
of  his  will.  The  Fredericksburg  branch  of  the  society  has  charge 
of  the  building,  a  one  and  a  half  story  wooden  structure,  and  now 
has  it  in  good  condition  and  open  for  the  inspection  of  those  who 
would  like  to  live  for  a  short  time  in  the  far  distant  past,  when 
Mrs.  Livingston  was  the  "doctress  and  coffee-woman"  of  the  town. 
That  society  has  renovated  the  building  and  it  is  now  in  good 
repair.     It  has  not  been  kept  as  a  hotel  since  the  Civil  war. 

The  handsome  residence  erected  by  Mr.  Stannard,  on  the  lot 
now  occupied  by  Mr.  George  W.  Shepherd,  was  destroyed  by  fire  in 
the  great  conflagration  that  occurred  here  in  1807,  which  is  men- 
tioned elsewhere.  The  fire  originated  in  that  house  and  had  made 
considerable  headway  before  it  was  discovered.  In  the  year  1815 
the  large,  brick  residence  now  standing  on  that  lot  was  erected  by 
Mr.  Eobert  Mackay,  a  merchant  of  the  town  and  Mayor  for  two 
years,  from  1817  to  1819.  It  is  said  that  the  cost  of  erecting  that 
building,  and  beautifying  the  grounds,  was  thirty  thousand  dollars, 
and  it  so  embarassed  Mr.  Mackay  that  he  never  recovered  from  it. 

For  a  number  of  years  this  place  was  the  residence  and  home  of 
Thomas  Seddon,  a  wealthy  gentleman,  who  died  there  in  1831. 
As  is  said  elsewhere  herein,  he  was  the  father  of  James  A.  Seddon, 
secretary  of  War  of  the  Confederate  States,  who,  it  is  claimed  by 


150  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

some  persons,  was  born  there,  although  his  biographers  say,  and  it 
is  substantiated  by  his  relatives,  that  he  was  born  in  Falmouth,  in 
Stafford  county.  It  is  not  disputed,  however,  that  Secretary  Sed- 
don  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  that  building,  having  moved  there 
when  he  was  quite  young,  but  his  birthplace  is  beyond  doubt  as  his 
biographers  and  relatives  state  it,  as  he  was  born  the  same  year  this 
residence  was  built,  and  Mr.  Mackay  occupied  it  for  some  years 
before  Mr.   Seddon  moved  there. 

The  old,  one  and  a  half  story  frame  house,  which  stands  on  the 
east  side  of  Princess  Ann  street,  between  Prussia  and  Wolfe  streets, 
just  below  Shiloh  Baptist  church  (new  site),  was  at  one  time  owned 
by  James  Monroe.  He  was  elected  to  a  seat  in  the  Legislature, 
and  the  law  required  that  members  of  the  General  Assembly  should 
be  owners  of  real  estate.  In  order  to  make  him  eligible  his 
uncle  gave  him  a  pocket  deed  to  this  house  and  lot.  This  was 
the  first  civil  office,  except  that  of  Common  Councilman  of  Freder- 
icksburg, Mr.  Monroe  ever  held.  The  house  at  the  time  stood  on 
a  lot  in  the  upper  part  of  the  town  and  was  without  the  wings  it 
has  at  present.  Mr.  Monroe's  boarding  place  was  located  on 
the  same  lot  on  which  now  stands  the  handsome  residence  of  Mrs. 
James  H.  Bradley.  His  law  office  was  in  the  row  of  low,  brick 
buildings,  formerly  known  as  the  "City  Lunch,"  on  Charles  street, 
in  rear  of  Colonel  E.  D.  Cole's  store. 

The  "Sentry  Box,"  at  the  lower  end  of  Main  street,  was  the  resi- 
dence of  General  George  Weedon,  of  Revolutionary  fame,  and  was 
afterwards  owned  and  occupied  by  Colonel  Hugh  Mercer,  a  son 
of  General  Hugh  Mercer,  who  was  killed  at  the  battle  of  Princeton, 
and  a  nephew  of  General  Weedon,  to  whom  it  was  devised  by 
General  Weedon.  We  are  unable  to  state  when  this  house  was 
erected  or  who  built  it.  It  is  doubtless  one  of  the  oldest  buildings 
in  town.  It  is  a  large  two-story  frame  house,  with  a  wide  hall  through 
the  center  and  overlooks  the  Rappahannock  river.  It  has  been 
known  as  the  "Sentry  Box"  as  far  back  as  the  mind  of  our  oldest 
inhabitant  goes,  and  the  past  generations  knew  it  by  that  name.  Tra- 
dition has  brought  the  name  down  to  us  and  we  need  not  stretch 
our  imaginations  as  to  the  "why  it  was  so  called."     From  the  upper 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  151 

story  of  the  southeast  end  of  this  stately  building  is  a  beautiful 
and  unobstructed  view  of  the  river  for  some  distance,  and  there 
sentinels  were  placed  at  various  times  during  the  Eevolutionary 
war,  to  watch  and  give  the  alarm  of  the  approach  of  the  enemy. 
It  was  thus  used  for  three  wars  to  much  advantage  to  the  side  with 
which  Fredericksburg  was  in  sympathy — the  Eevolution,  as  above 
mentioned,  the  war  of  1812  and  the  Civil  war,  or  the  War  between 
the  States.  Another  thing  that  gives  the  "Sentry  Box"  additional 
historical  interest  is  the  claim  that  has  been  made,  which  may  need 
verification,  that  in  this  house  has  been  received  and  entertained 
every  President  of  the  United  States  from  George  Washington  to 
James  Buchanan.  The  property  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Mr.  0.  D.  Foster,  a  veteran  of  the  Confederate  army. 

The  splendid  two-story  brick  residence,  owned  and  occupied  by 
Gen.  Daniel  D.  Wheeler,  of  the  United  States  army,  on  the  east  side 
of  lower  Main  street,  was  built  by  Eoger  Dixon,  a  gentleman  of 
means,  who  owned  most  of  the  land  in  the  lower  end  of  the  town 
about  1764.  A  few  years  after  its  construction  Mr.  Dixon  died, 
and  most,  if  not  all  of  his  property,  was  purchased  by  Dr.  Charles 
Mortimer.  Dr.  Mortimer  was  one  of  Mary  Washington's  phy- 
sicians, and  tradition  has  it  that  the  last  visit  she'  made  was  to  her 
much-loved  physician;  that  upon  her  return  home  she  was  taken 
down  with  cancer  and  after  that  never  left  her  home. 

Of  one  of  the  many  delightful  dinings  and  balls  at  this  splendid 
mansion,  so  frequent  in  that  day  with  the  "well  to  do  folks"  of  Vir- 
ginia, Mrs.  Eoger  A.  Prior,  in  "the  Mother  of  Washington  and  Her 
Times"  says,  "Little  Maria  Mortimer,  aged  sixteen,  was  at  the 
Fredericksburg  ball.  Her  father,  Dr.  Charles  Mortimer,  issued 
invitations  at  the  ball  for  a  great  dinner  to  the  distinguished  stran- 
gers the  next  day  but  one,  and  his  wife  (Sarah  Griffin  Fauntleroy), 
being  too  ill  to  preside,  that  honor  fell  to  the  daughter  of  the  house. 
The  house,  an  immense  pile  of  English  brick,  ( ?)  still  stands  on 
the  lower  edge  of  the  town,  facing  Main  street,  with  a  garden 
sloping  to  the  river,  where  Dr.  Mortimer's  own  tobacco  ships  used 
to  run  up  to  discharge  their  return  English  cargoes,  by  a  channel 
long  since  disused  and  filled  up.     *     *     *     The  table,  as  little 


152  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Maria  described  it  in  after  years,  groaned  with  every  delicacy  of 
land  and  water,  served  in  massive  pewter  dishes,  polished  until  they 
shone  again.  The  chief  sat  beside  the  master  of.  the  house  at  the 
long  table,  although  at  his  own  house  his  place  was  always  at  the 
side  of -the  table  among  his  guests.  Little  Maria,  'with  her  hair 
cruped  high/  was  taken  in  by  the  Marquis  Lafayette,  or  Count 
d'Estaing,  or  Count  Rochambeau — they  were  all  present — and  the 
little  lady's  heart  was  in  her  mouth,  she  said,  although  she  danced 
with  every  one  of  them  at  the  ball — nay,  with  Bettie  Lewis's  uncle 
George  himself !" 

Dr.  Mortimer  was  the  first  Mayor  of  Fredericksburg.  His 
remains  are  buried  near  the  center  of  Hurkamp  Park,  which  was 
for  nearly  a  century  a  public  burying  ground.  As  has  been  said,  he 
was  Mary  Washington's  physician,  but  not  the  only  one  at  her 
late  illness,  for  it  is  quite  certain  that  Dr.  Elisha  Hall,  who  was  the 
grandfather  of  Dr.  Horace  B.  Hall,  and  who  lived  on  the  lot  now 
occupied  by  Dr.  J.  E.  Tompkin's  residence,  was  also  one  of  her 
physicians  in  her  last  days.  This  is  shown  beyond  a  doubt  by  a 
letter,  still  preserved  from  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush,  of  Philadelphia,  to 
Dr.  Elisha  Hall,  his  cousin,  written  July  6,  1789,  a  short  time  be- 
fore Mrs.  Washington's  death.  Dr.  Hall  had  written  to  him  for 
his  experience  and  advice  for  cancer  treatment  and  received  the 
following : 

"The  respectable  age  and  character  of  your  venerable  patient 
lead  me  to  regret  that  it  is  not  in  my  power  to  suggest  a  remedy 
for  the  cure  of  the  disorder  you  have  described  in  her  breast.  I 
know  nothing  of  the  root  you  mention,  found  in  Carolina  and 
Georgia,  but,  from  a  variety  of  inquiries  and  experiments,  I  am 
disposed  to  believe  that  there  does  not  exist  in  the  vegetable  king- 
dom an  antidote  to  cancers.  All  the  supposed  vegetable  remedies 
I  have  heard  of  are  compounds  of  some  mineral  caustics.  The  ar- 
senic is  the  most  powerful  of  any  of  them.  It  is  the  basis  of  Dr. 
Martin's  powder.  I  have  used  it  in  many  cases  with  success,  but 
have  failed  in  some.  From  your  account  of  Mrs.  Washington's 
breast  I  am  afraid  no  great  good  can  be  expected  from  the  use  of 
it.     Perhaps  it  may  cleanse  it,  and  thereby  retard  its  spreading. 


kThe  Dam  of  the  Water  Power  Co.,  the  Canal  emerging  from  left  corner 

furnishes  power  for  town. 

(See  page  329) 


"Meditation  Rock,"  Mary  Washington's  favorite  retreat  for  reading, 
prayer  and  meditation. 
(See  page  157) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  153 

You  may  try  it  diluted  in  water.  Continue  the  application  of 
opium  and  camphor,  and  wash  it  frequently  with  a  decoction  of  red 
clover.  Give  anodynes,  when  necessary,  and  support  the  system 
with  bark  and  wine.  Under  this  treatment  she  may  live  com- 
fortably many  years,  and  finally  die  of  old  age." 

The  house  on  the  south  corner  of  Prince  Edward  and  Fauquier 
streets,  purchased  in  1898  by  Mrs.  Bernice  Hart,  tradition  says, 
was  for  over  one  hundred  years  the  clerk's  office,  and  the  court 
records  of  the  trustees  of  the  town  were  kept  there.  There  may 
have  been  a  court  held  in  that  small  place  under  the  Colonial  char- 
ter of  the  town,  but  not  a  criminal  court  since  that  time,  as  the 
records  show  to  the  contrary.  The  records  of  courts  held  here 
before  the  War  of  the  Eevolution — if  any  were  held  here — and  the 
record  of  proceedings  of  the  trustees  cannot  be  found  at  present. 
The  house  was  a  small,  one  and  a  half  story  frame  building, 
similar  in  architecture  to  the  old  part  of  the  Mary  Washington 
House.  The  additions  made  to  it  in  recent  years  have  completely 
destroyed  its  original  form  and  architecture  and  have  given  it  a 
modern  appearance.  No  one,  of  course,  knows  when  it  was  built, 
but,  judging  from  its  style  and  the  material  of  which  it  was  con- 
structed, it  must  take  its  place  with  the  oldest  of  our  ancient  build- 
ings. 

"Federal  Hill,"  on  Hanover  street,  owned  and  occupied  by  Mrs. 
H.  Theodore  Wight,  was,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  and 
early  part  of  the  nineteenth  centuries,  the  home  of  Thomas  Reade 
Rootes,  who  was  one  of  the  most  distinguished  lawyers  of  his  day. 
His  third  daughter  was  Sarah  Robinson,  who  married  Colonel 
John  A.  Cobb,  of  North  Carolina,  a  son  of  Howell  Cobb,  of  Vir- 
ginia. Soon  after  his  marriage  Colonel  Cobb  settled  in  Georgia, 
where  were  born  those  two  distinguished  lawyers  and  soldiers, 
Howell  and  Thomas  Reade  Rootes  Cobb.  The  latter  was  killed  in 
front  of  the  Stevens  House,  at  the  foot  of  Marye's  Heights,  on  the 
13th  of  December,  1862,  it  is  claimed,  by  a  shell,  which  was  said  to 
have  been  thrown  from  a  gun  stationed  at  Federal  Hill,  where  his 
mother  was  born  and  married.  A  recent  writer  in  a  Northern 
journal,  however,  claims  that  General  Cobb  was  killed  by  a  shell 


154  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

thrown  from  the  Stafford  side  of  the  river.  But  both  accounts 
differ  from  the  report  of  General  Kershaw,  who  took  command  of 
the  line  when  General  Cobb  was  wounded.  In  his  report  of  the 
battle  he  says  General  Cobb  was  killed  by  a  sharp-shooter  stationed 
in  one  of  the  houses  to  his  left  on  Hanover  street.*  As  General 
Kershaw  was  on  the  ground  a  few  minutes  after  General  Cobb  was 
wounded,  and  saw  and  talked  with  him  after  he  was  wounded,  his 
version  is  more  than  likely  the  correct  one.  No  one  knows  when  or 
by  whom  Federal  Hill  was  built.  At  one  time  the  property  be- 
longed to  a  gentleman  by  the  name  of  Lovell,  who  moved  to  Fau- 
quier county,  and  it  may  be  he  erected  the  residence. 

The  old,  one  and  a  half  story  frame  building  on  the  corner  of 
Prince  Edward  and  Fauquier  streets,  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Mrs.  Mary  Knox  Moncure,  takes  its  place  among  the  oldest  build- 
ings of  the  town.  It  was  the  birth-place  and  home  of  John  For- 
sythe,  who  made  such  a  brilliant  record  as  a  Statesman  from 
Georgia,  to  which  State  he  moved  while  a  young  man.  His  father 
was  Robert  Forsythe,  a  major  in  the  Revolutionary  war,  who  died 
in  Fredericksburg  early  in  the  nineteenth  century. 

This  house  was  also  said  to  have  been  the  home  of  John  Dawson, 
an  old  bachelor,  who  represented  this  district  in  Congress  from  1797 
to  1814.  His  success  at  the  ballot-box  was  due  as  much,  perhaps, 
if  not  more,  to  his  declaring  himself  a  friend  to  the  poor  man  (a 
hobby  much  ridden  these  days  by  politicians)  than  to  any  other 
one  thing.  He  is  said  to  have  created  quite  a  sensation  in  the 
courthouse  in  Fredericksburg  during  one  of  his  heated  campaigns, 
which  gained  him  many  votes.  Political  feeling  ran  high,  the  peo- 
ple were  much  stirred  up,  the  canvas  was  exciting  and  the  result 
doubtful.  A  public  meeting  had  been  extensively  advertised  to 
take  place  at  the  courthouse,  and  the  building  was  early  filled  to  its 
capacity  to  hear  a  joint  discussion  between  the  Congressional  can- 
didates. Mr.  Dawson,  a  few  minutes  late,  reached  the  courthouse, 
and,  finding  his  way  blocked  by  the  dense  crowd,  shouted  at  the  top 
of  his  voice  from  the  door — "Make  way,  gentlemen,  for  the  poor 
man's  friend !"     All  eyes  were  at  once  turned  to  the  speaker,  and, 


*  See  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Series  1,  Vol.  21,  page  590. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  155 

seeing  it  was  John  Dawson,  the  candidate,  the  crowd  parted  and 
he  was  escorted  through  to  the  stand,  amid  thundering  applause. 
It  is  needless  to  say  he  was  reelected  to  Congress. 

The  old,  frame  building  on  the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Amelia 
streets,  one  and  a  half  stories  high,  for  many  years  of  the  first  of 
the  nineteenth  century  was  occupied  by  a  Mr.  Henderson  as  a 
store,  and  was  known  for  more  than  a  century  as  Henderson's 
corner.  It  is  a  very  old  building  and  prior  to  the  Eevolutionary 
war,  while  political  feeling  was  almost  at  fever  heat,  those  who 
opposed  resistance  to  the  Mother  Country  congregated  at  this 
corner  and  discussed  the  "state  of  the  country."  This  gave  it  the 
name  of  "Tory  Corner,"  by  which  it  was  known  for  many  years 
afterwards.  This  was  the  only  building  left  in  the  track  of  the 
great  fire  of  1807,  and  has  not  been  used  as  a  storehouse  for  more 
than  half  a  century. 

The  venerable  brick  mansion,  known  as  "Kenmore,"  facing 
"Washington  avenue,  and  the  residence  of  Clarance  Eandolph 
Howard,  Esq.,  was  built  by  Colonel  Fielding  Lewis,  a  man  of  great 
wealth,  and  who  owned  a  large  body  of  land  west  of  the  town.  The 
bricks  of  which  the  house  was  built,  tradition  had  it,  came  from 
England,  but  that  is  hardly  possible,  as  elegant  bricks  were  manu- 
factured in  this  country  at  that  time — in  the  seventeen  forties — 
and  the  best  of  clay  is  found  in  that  locality,  where  signs  of  a 
brick-yard  can  now  be  found.  The  interior  stucco  work  of  this 
colonial  mansion  is  probably  equal  in  workmanship  to  the  best  in 
this  country,  and  is  said  to  have  been  done  by  expert  Englishmen. 
It  has  stood  for  a  century  and  a  half  without  repairs,  so  far  as  is 
known,  until  some  fifteen  years  ago,  when  Mr.  Wm.  Key  Howard 
gave  it  some  slight  touches,  which  compare  favorably  with  the  old 
work.  Col.  Lewis,  for  his  second  wife,  selected  Miss  Bettie  "Washing- 
ton, sister  of  Gen.  George  "Washington,  and  to  this  beautiful  mansion 
she  was  taken  as  a  bride,  and  lived  there  until  a  few  years  before 
her  death.  Col.  Lewis  was  an%  officer  in  the  Patriot  army  and  com- 
manded a  division  at  the  Siege  of  Yorktown,  where  Cornwallis  sur- 
rendered and  where  the  Seven  Years'  war  ended.  He  was  an 
ardent  patriot,  and  during  the  Revolutionary  war,  at  one  time, 


156  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

superintended  the  manufacture  of  arms,  shells  and  shot  on  the 
north  side  of  the  Rappahannock  river,  just  above  Falmouth.  The 
ruins  of  the  old  forge  are  still  to  be  seen  there,,  and  also  the  old 
prison  barracks,  where  some  German  prisoners  were  kept  during 
that  struggle.  The  garrison  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Enever. 
Colonel  Lewis  was  also  a  magistrate  in  the  town  after  the  war,  a 
member  of  the  City  Council  and  represented  the  county  in  the  Leg- 
islature. 

He  died  in  December,  1781,  and,  it  is  said,  is  buried  under  the 
front  steps  of  St.  George's  Episcopal  church.  His  wife,  Bettie, 
survived  him  sixteen  years.  In  the  latter  part  of  her  life  she  went 
to  Culpeper  county  and  lived  with  one  of  her  children,  where  she 
died  and  was  buried.  Colonal  Fielding  Lewis  was  the  father  of 
Captain  Robert  Lewis,  who  was  one  of  President  Washington's 
private  secretaries,  and  Mayor  of  Fredericksburg  from  1821  to  the 
day  of  his  death,  February  11,  1829.  Captain  Lewis  delivered 
the  address  of  welcome  to  General  Lafayette  on  his  visit  to  the  town 
in  1824. 

Mary,  the  mother  of  Washington,  must  have  lived  in  Fredericks- 
burg the  most  of  her  widowhood,  which  was  about  forty-six  years. 
Some  time  after  her  husband's  death,  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
Rappahannock  river,  she  moved  into  the  town,  where  she  brought 
up  her  illustrious  son  George  to  manhood.  The  dwelling  she  occu- 
pied during  that  time  is  now  standing  on  the  west  corner  of 
Charles  and  Lewis  streets.  Until  some  fifteen  years  ago  this  old 
residence  was  owned  and  occupied  by  private  individuals,  but  just 
prior  to  the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago  a  party  from  that  city  was 
negotiating  for  it,  with  a  view  of  transferring  it  to  Chicago. 
While  a  difference  of  five  hundred  dollars  in  the  price  was  under 
consideration  some  ladies  of  Fredericksburg,  who  opposed  its  being 
disturbed,  communicated  the  condition  of  things  to  the  Society  for 
the  Preservation  of  Virginia  Antiquities,  at  Richmond,  who  at  once 
purchased  the  property  at  four  thousand  and  five  hundred  dollars. 
The  Society  had  the  buildings  put  in  good  repairs  and  the  pur- 
chase is  considered  a  valuable  addition  to  the  possessions  of  the 
Society. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  157 

It  is  a  plain,  substantial,  old  fashioned  one  and  a  half  story 
dwelling,  of  the  prevailing  order  of  architecture  of  that  period, 
and  though  it  has  been  thoroughly  overhauled  and  repaired,  the 
distinctive  features  of  architecture  and  general  appearance  have 
been  faithfully  preserved.  Mrs.  Mary  Washington  died  in  the 
front  room  of  this  building  in  1789,  and  was  buried  on  a  spot 
which  she  had  selected  for  her  grave  there,  on  a  part  of  the  Ken- 
more  tract,  which  belonged  to  the  estate  of  Colonel  Fielding  Lewis, 
her  son-in-law. 

THE  MARY  WASHINGTON  MONUMENT. 

Within  a  few  steps  of  the  place  where  Mary,  the  mother  of  Wash- 
ington, was  buried  is  a  ledge  of  rocks  and  a  beautiful  grove  of 
original  oak  trees,  much  larger  then  in  area  than  at  present,  to  which 
she  used  often  to  resort  for  private  reading,  meditation  and  prayer. 
The  grave  was  marked  by  a  small,  marble  slab,  appropriately 
inscribed.  About  forty-five  years  after  her  death  a  stately  marble 
monument,  designed  to  mark  her  grave  and  perpetuate  her  memory, 
was  partly  constructed  by  the  private  munificence  of  Mr.  Silas 
Burrows,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  New  York. 

The  corner-stone  of  this  proposed  monument  was  laid  on  the  7th 
of  May,  1833,  with  an  imposing  military  and  civic  display,  by 
Fredericksburg  Lodge,  ISTo.  4,  Ancient,  Free  and  Accepted  Masons, 
President  Andrew  Jackson,  Past  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in  Ten- 
nessee, being  present  and  participating.  This  monument,  because 
of  the  failure  of  Mr.  Burrows  in  business,  remained  in  a  half  com- 
pleted condition  for  nearly  sixty  years  and  was  greatly  mutilated  by 
time  and  relic  hunters. 

An  appeal  for  a  Congressional  appropriation  to  restore  and  com- 
plete the  structure  by  the  United  States  Government,  made  by  a 
bill,  introduced  in  the  Forty-third  Congress  by  Hon.  James  B. 
Sener,  then  representing  this  Congressional  district,  was  unsuccess- 
ful, notwithstanding  his  patriotic  efforts  were  seconded  by  a  strong 
appeal  of  the  Mayor  and  Common  Council  of  Fredericksburg  and 


158  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

unanimously  recommended  by  a  Congressional  committee,  who 
visited  the  place,  of  which  Hon.  Horace  Manard,  of  Tennessee, 
afterward  Post-Master  General,  was  chairman.  A  similar  effort 
was  made  some  years  thereafter  by  Hon.  George  T.  Garrison,  re- 
presenting this  district  in  Congress  with  the  same  result. 

Upon  the  failure  of  the  efforts  of  these  two  members  of  Congress, 
aided  by  the  city  authorities,  to  secure  the  completion  of  the  monu- 
ment by  the  government,  came  the  women's  opportunity.  They 
were  deeply  interested  in  the  subject,  and  cherished  an  honest  pride 
in  having  the  monument  completed  to  perpetuate  the  memory  and 
virtues  of  the  greatest  of  American  women. 

In  1889,  the  centennial  year  of  the  death  of  this  venerated  lady, 
an  association  was  formed  by  the  devoted  and  patriotic  ladies  of 
Fredericksburg,  with  Mrs.  James  P.  Smith  as  their  leader,  who 
resolved  to  spare  no  time  or  effort  to  raise  the  necessary  money 
to  complete  the  structure,  and  thus  save  the  grave  of  this  sainted 
woman  from  oblivion.  A  systematic  correspondence  and  appeals 
were  commenced,  and  in  a  short  time,  mainly,  if  not  altogether, 
through  the  influence  of  the  Fredericksburg  association,  a  national 
association  was  formed  in  Washington,  with  Mrs.  Chief-Justice 
Waite  as  president.  These  two  associations  cooperating,  other 
strong  appeals  were  sent  out  to  the  patriotic  women  of  the  United 
States,  soliciting  contributions,  and  soon  money  began  to  flow  into 
the  treasury  of  the  association,  until  a  sufficient  sum  was  raised  to 
complete  the  work. 

A  sufficient  amount  of  money  being  in  hand  this  perplexing 
question  arose — should  the  old  monument  be  renovated  and  com- 
pleted, or  should  it  be  set  aside  and  a  new  one  constructed  ?  This 
gave  rise  to  considerable  controversy,  because  there  was  quite  a 
division  of  sentiment,  and  serious  results  were  feared  by  members 
of  both  associations.  This  difficulty  was  met,  however,  by  an  order 
to  have  the  unfinished  monument  examined  by  an  expert,  who,  upon 
a  thorough  investigation,  reported  that  it  was  so  broken  and  muti- 
lated that  it  could  not  be  repaired,  and  so  plans  for  a  new  monu- 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  159 

ment  were  ordered.  The  plan  submitted  by  Mr.  Wm.  J.  Crawford, 
of  Buffalo,  New  York,  was  adopted  by  the  ladies  and  to  him  was 
intrusted  the  work  of  erecting  the  monument  on  the  site  of  the 
unfinished  structure,  under  which  the  remains  of  this  venerable  and 
venerated  woman  reposed.  The  monument  is  a  square  base,  with 
a  solid  granite  shaft  fifty-one  and  a  half  feet  high — total  height, 
fifty-five  feet — with  the  words  "Mary,  the  Mother  of  Washington," 
in  raised  letters,  cut  on  the  base.  The  material  of  the  old  monu- 
ment was  broken  up  and  placed  in  the  foundation  of  the  new  one, 
except  such  of  the  fluted  columns  as  remained  unbroken,  which  were 
donated  to  different  institutions.  One  of  them  was  given  to  Fred- 
ericksburg Lodge  of  Masons,  of  this  place,  by  Mr.  Crawford,  the 
architect,  which  is  now  in  the  lodge  room. 

In  due  time  the  monument  was  finished  to  the  satisfaction  of 
both  the  Fredericksburg  and  Washington  associations,  which  was 
accepted,  and  the  10th  of  May,  1894,  was  designated  as  the  time 
for  its  dedication.  The  Fredericksburg  Masonic  Lodge,  which  had 
laid  the  corner-stone  of  the  old  monument,  was  invited  to  conduct 
the  ceremonies  of  dedicating  the  new,  but  it  gracefully  turned  that 
honor  over  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  which  performed  the 
work  in  good  style,  escorted  and  assisted  by  Lodges  No.  4  and 
No.  22  of  Alexandria. 

The  day  for  the  dedication  of  the  monument  dawned  beautiful 
and  clear  and  found  everything  in  readiness  for  the  grand  event. 
Besides  the  National  Association  being  largely  represented  from 
Washington,  headed  by  Mrs.  Waite,  there  were  President  Grover 
Cleveland,  with  most  of  his  cabinet  and  their  wives;  Vice-President 
A.  E.  Stevenson  and  lady,  Chief-Justice  Fuller,  Justice  Harlan. 
Senators  and  Eepresentatives,  Governor  Charles  T.  O'Ferrall  and 
Staff,  the  volunteer  militia  from  different  portions  of  the  State,  the 
Grand  Lodge  of  Masons  of  Virginia,  with  Fredericksburg  Lodge, 
No.  4,  and  Alexandria-Washington  Lodge,  No.  22,  and  distin- 
guished men  and  Masons  from  different  parts  of  the  country. 

The  streets  of  the  town  were  thronged  with  thousands  of  people 
from  far  and  near,  eager  and  anxious  to  witness  the  ceremonies. 
Never  before  was  such  a  vast  number  of  people  seen  in  Fredericks- 


160  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

burg,  except  at  the  great  battle  in  December,  1862.  The  dedi- 
catory services  were  conducted  by  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Masons  of 
Virginia,  Major  Mann  Page,  Jr.,  Grand  Master,*  which  were 
solemn  and  impressive.  Addresses,  appropriate  to  the  occasion, 
were  made  by  Mayor  A.  P.  Rowe,  Governor  Charles  T.  O'Ferrall, 
President  Grover  Cleveland  and  Mr.  Blair  Lee,  who  were  followed 
by  Senator  John  W.  Daniel,  the  orator  of  the  occasion. 

Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4,  gave  a  grand  banquet  at  the  opera 
house  in  the  afternoon  to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  several  hun- 
dred invited  guests,  which  was  presided  over  by  Judge  James  B. 
Sener.  On  that  interesting  occasion  addresses  were  made  by  sev- 
eral distinguished  guests,  including  President  Cleveland,  Vice- 
President  Stevenson,  Justice  Harlan  and  others.  The  Marine 
band  was  present  and  furnished  music  of  the  highest  order  for 
both  the  dedication  and  banquet.  Since  the  monument  was 
finished  the  associations  have  erected  a  comfortable  granite  building 
on  the  grounds  for  a  residence  and  office  for  the  custodian  of  the 
monument  and  the  grounds,  and  Mrs.  John  T.  Goolrick.  a  de- 
scendant of  George  Mason,  occupies  that  position. 

mary  Washington's  will. 

The  last  will  and  testament  of  Mary  Washington  has  for  many 
years  attracted  general  interest,  and  numerous  visitors  call  at  the 
courthouse  to  inspect  and  feast  their  eyes  upon  the  original  docu- 
ment. So  precious  does  the  court  regard  this  relic  that  an  order 
was  made  for  its  preservation,  and  it  is  now  is  a  case  and  receives 
the  special  attention  and  care  of  Mr.  A.  B.  Yates,  the  polite  and 
accommodating  clerk  of  the  court.     The  will  is  in  these  words: 

"In  the  name  of  God,  amen.  I,  Mary  Washington,  of  Freder- 
icksburg, in  the  county  of  Spotsylvania,  being  in  good  health,  but 
calling  to  mind  the  uncertainty  of  this  life  and  willing  to  dispose 


*  In  his  excitement,  Grand  Master  Page  dedicated  the  monument  to  Mary, 
the  mother  of  our  Illustrious  brother,  George  H.  Washington.  A  brother  re- 
marked to  another,  "I  didn't  know  there  was  an  H  In  Washington's  name. 
What  does  it  stand  for?"  As  quick  as  thought  the  shrewd  Essex  lawyer  re- 
sponded, "Hatchet — George  Hatchet !"  The  fun  that  Incident  excited  Is  not 
over  with  yet. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  161 

of  what  remains  of  my  earthly  estate,  do  make  and  publish  this 
my  last  will,  recommending  my  soul  into  the  hands  of  my  Creator, 
hoping  for  a  remission  of  all  my  sins  through  the  merits  and  media- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Saviour  of  mankind.  I  dispose  of  all 
my  worldly  estate  as  follows  : 

Imprimis.  I  give  to  my  son  General  George  Washington  all  my. 
lands  on  Accokeek  Run,  in  the  county  of  Stafford,  and  also  my 
negro  boy,  George,  to  him  and' his  heirs  forever;  also  my  best  bed, 
bedstead,  and  Virginia  cloth  curtains  (the  same  that  stands  in  my 
best  room),  my  quilted  blue-and- white  quilt  and  my  best  dressing 
glass. 

Item.  I  give  and  devise  to  my  son,  Charles  Washington  my 
negro  man,  Tom,  to  him  and  his  assigns  forever. 

Item.  I  give  and  devise  to  my  daughter,  Betty  Lewis,  my  phaeton 
and  my  bay  horse. 

Item.  I  give  and  devise  to  my  daughter-in-law,  Hannah  Wash- 
ington, my  purple  cloth  cloak  lined  with  shay. 

Item.  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  grand  son,  Corbin  Washington 
my  negro  wench,  old  Bet,  my  riding  chair,  and  two  black  horses, 
to  him  and  his  assigns  forever. 

Item.  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  grand  son,  Fielding  Lewis, 
my  negro  man,  Frederick,  to  him  and  his  assigns  forever;  also 
eight  silver  table  spoons,  half  of  my  crockery  ware,  and  the  blue- 
and-white  tea  china,  with  book-case,  oval  table,  one  bed,  bedstead, 
one  pair  sheets,  one  pair  blankets  and  white  cotton  counterpane, 
two  table  cloths,  six  red  leather  chairs,  half  my  pewter,  and  one  half 
of  my  iron  kitchen  furniture. 

Item.  I  give  and  devise  to  my  grand  son,  Lawrence  Lewis,  my 
negro  wench,  Lydia,  to  him  and  his  assigns  forever. 

Item.  I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  grand  daughter,  Betty  Carter, 
my  negro  woman,  little  Bet,  and  her  future  increase,  to  her  and  her 
assigns  forever;  also  my  largest  looking  glass,  my  walnut  writing 
desk  with  drawers,  a  square  dining  table,  one  bed,  bedstead,  bolster, 
one  pillow,  one  blanket  and  pair  of  sheets,  white  Virginia  cloth 
counterpane  and  purple  curtains,  my  red-and-white  tea  china,  tea 
11 


1G2  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

spoons  and  the  other  half  of  my  pewter,  crockery-ware,  and  the 
remainder  of  my  iron  kitchen  furniture. 

Item.  I  give  to  my  grand  son,  George  Washington,  my  next  best 
dressing  glass,  one  bed,  bedstead,  bolster,  one  pillow,  one  pair 
sheets,  one  blanket  and  counterpane. 

Item.  I  devise  all  my  wearing  apparel  to  be  equally  divided 
between  my  grand  daughters,  Betty  Carter,  Fanny  Ball  and  Milly 
Washington ;  but  should  my  daughter,  Betty  Lewis,  fancy  any  one, 
two  or  three  articles,  she  is  to  have  them  before  a  division  thereof. 

Lastly.  I  nominate  and  appoint  my  said  son,  General  George 
Washington,  executor  of  this  my  will,  and  as  I  owe  few  or  no  debts, 
I  desire  my  executor  to  give  no  security  nor  to  appraise  my  estate, 
but  desire  the  same  may  be  allotted  to  my  devisees  with  as  little 
trouble  and  delay  as  may  be,  desiring  their  acceptance  thereof  as  all 
the  token  I  now  have  to  give  them  of  my  love  for  them. 

In  witness  whereof,  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand  and  seal  this 
20th  day  of  May,  1788. 

Mary  Washington. 

Witness  John  Ferneyhough. 

Signed,  sealed  and  published  in  our  presence,  and  signed  by  us 
in  the  presence  of  the  said  Mary  Washington,  and  at  her  desire. 

J.  Mercer, 
Joseph  Walker." 

The  will  was  written  by  Judge  James  Mercer,  first  President  of 
the  Court  of  Appeals,  or  "Chief-Justice  of  the  General  Court." 

THE  MERCER  MONUMENT. 

In  the  year  1906  the  government  of  the  United  States  erected  a 
monument  to  General  Hugh  Mercer,  who  was  mortally  wounded  at 
Princeton,  N.  J.,  while  gallantly  leading  his  men  in  a  charge 
against  the  British  in  1777.  He  lived  one  week  in  great  suffering, 
when  he  died  and  was  buried  near  where  he  fell,  but  afterwards 
removed  to  Philadelphia,  Pa.,  where  he  now  sleeps.  Gen.  Mercer 
was  born  in  Scotland,  studied  medicine  at  Aberdeen  and  graduated 
with  high  honors.     After  graduating  he  soon  rose  to  distinction  as 


The  Presbyterian  Church. 
(See  page  207  > 


The  Methodist  Church. 
(See  page  211 ) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  163 

a  surgeon  and  physician  and  did  much  service  in  the  army.  He 
was  at  the  battle  of  Culloden  Moor,  Scotland,  where  his  party  was 
badly  defeated,  and  those  not  taken  prisoners  fled  to  other  countries 
to  save  their  lives.  Gen.  Mercer  came  to  this  country  and  settled  in 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  with  Gen.  Braddock,  who  was  killed  at 
Fort  Duquesne,  and,  being  thrown  with  Gen.  Washington,  became 
attached  to  him  and  came  to  Fredericksburg  "to  be  near  him,"  land- 
ing here  in  1763.  He  practised  medicine  and  established  a  drug 
store  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Amelia  streets.*  Gen.  Mercer 
married  Isabella  Wallace  and  lived  at  the  "Sentry  Box"  with  Geo. 
Weedon,  who  married  his  wife's  sister,  until  the  beginning  of  the 
Revolutionary  War.  Soon  after  his  death  Congress  appropriated 
$5,000  for  the  erection  of  a  monument  in  this  place  to  his  memory, 
but  .the  matter  was  overlooked  and  the  gratitude  of  the  government 
for  his  services  was  not  exhibited  to  the  extent  of  a  memorial  until 
the  year  1906,  one  hundred  and  twenty-nine  years  after  his  death. 
In  1905  a  bill  was  passed  by  Congress  appropriating  $25,000  to 
erect  a  monument  to  perpetuate  the  memory  of  the  grand  hero — 
two-thirds  of  the  interest  of  the  amount  appropriated  in  1777 — 
and  he  now  appears  in  heroic  size,  on  his  pedestal,  on  Washington 
avenue,  in  the  attitude  of  a  patriot,  drawn  sword  in  hand,  ready  to 
strike  for  Home  and  Country — Liberty  and  Independence. 

We  naturally  uncover  our  heads  while  we  "behold  this  friend  of 
Washington — this  heroic  defender  of  America !" 


*  One  tradition  is  that  this  drug  store  was  at  the  corner  of  Princess  Ann 
and  Amelia  streets,  where  Mr.  John  Stansbury  Wallace  lives :  but  another  tra- 
dition locates  it  at  the  corner  of  Main  and  Amelia,  most  likely  adjoining  the 
corner  house.  This  tradition  is  strengthened  by  finding,  some  time  ago,  while 
repairing  the  house,  many  old  papers  and  other  things  that  must  have  come 
from  a  drug  store,  and  no  other  such  store  was  ever  known  at  that  place. 


CHAPTER  XII 

Hotels  of  the  Town,  old  and  new — Agricultural  Fairs — Ferries 
and  Toll  Bridges — Care  of  the  Dependent  Poor — City  Water 
Works — City  Gas  Works — Electric  Light — Telephone  Com- 
pany— Fire  Department,  &c. 

Fredericksburg,  from  the  time  it  was  first  chartered,  found  itself 
on  the  main  line  of  travel  from  North  to  South  and  vice  versa. 
For  this  reason  it  was  the  main  point  for  stopping,  if  the  traveller 
could  reach  it  even  by  journeying  a  few  hours  after  dark.  As  the 
postoffice  department  came  into  existence  and  the  mail  matter  in- 
creased, the  pony  had  to  give  way  for  the  small  vehicle,  and  the 
small  vehicle  for  a  larger  one,  and  the  larger  one  for  the 
stage,  and  the  one  stage  for  two,  three,  four  and  five,  for 
Fredericksburg  was  a  great  mail  distributing  office,  and  the  travel 
to  and  fro,  stopping  in  the  town,  became  immense.  This  necessi- 
tated the  construction  and  opening  of  inns,  and  so  the  town  became 
famous  for  its  many  elegant  hotels.  This  continued  until  broken 
up  by  the  rapid  transit  of  steamboats  and  railroads,  where  the 
travellers  found  floating  palaces  and  moving  cafes.  They  look 
not  for  the  hotel  in  small  towns — they  have  their  dining  cars  of 
eatables  and  drinkables.  But  let  us  not  forget  the  village  hotel, 
our  former  friend  "where  we  slaked  our  thirst,  ate  to  the  full," 
and  where  we  lost  ourselves  in  "balmy  sleep,  nature's  kind  re- 
storer." 

The  old  time  hotels,  which  have  passed  out  of  the  memory  of  the 
present  generation,  will  no  doubt  prove  one  of  the  most  interesting 
•chapters  of  this  historical  sketch  of  the  town.  The  ground  upon 
which  many  of  them  stood  is  now  bare  or  occupied  by  other  build- 
ings, and  the  names  of  many  of  their  keepers  have  been  lost  to  the 
town.     A  short  reference  to  some  of  these  public  resorts  will  prob- 

[  164] 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  165 

ably  refresh  the  minds  of  the  citizens  of  what  was  at  one  time  one 
of  the  principal  features  of  the  town,  and  will  introduce  to  the 
younger  generation  the  names  of  these  hotels  and  their  keepers,  so 
intimately  associated  with  the  "good  old  times."  For  most  of  these 
references  we  are  indebted  to  the  memory  and  pen  of  Mr.  Wm.  F. 
Farish,  who  died  at  Lanhams,  Md.,  a  few  years  since.  He  was 
born  here  eighty-four  years  ago  and  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  the 
town. 

Near  the  present  opera  house,  on  Main  street,  was  a  hotel  and 
oyster  house,  kept  by  Mr.  Thomas  Curtis.  This  place  was  head- 
quarters for  the  politicians,  and  it  was  there  the  merits  and  de- 
merits of  candidates  were  discussed  and  their  success  or  defeat  was 
determined  upon.  It  was  what  would  be  called  to-day  the  Tam- 
many Hall  of  Fredericksburg.  The  beginning  of  the  war  was  the 
end  of  this  hotel,  as  it  was  destroyed  during  the  shelling  of  the 
town  in  December,  1862. 

The  Rappahannock  House  was  located  on  the  east  side  of  Main 
street,  about  half  way  between  George  and  Hanover  streets.  It 
was  kept  by  Thomas  Goodwin.  The  name  of  this  house  was  after- 
wards changed  to  the  Shakespeare,  and  was  conducted  by  a  Mr. 
Parker.  It  was  burned  down  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Civil  war 
and  store  houses  were  built  on  the  ground  it  occupied. 

The  Farmers'  Hotel  was  situated  on  the  west  corner  of  Main  and 
Hanover  streets,  and  extended  up  Hanover  street  to  Jail  alley, 
then  known  as  Hay  Scales  alley.  A  part  of  this  building  is  still 
standing  on  the  corner  of  Hanover  street  and  Jail  Alley  and  is 
now  owned  and  occupied  by  Mr.  M.  E.  Ferrell,  who  has  changed  it 
into  a  residence.  The  main  part  of  the  building,  on  the  corner  of 
Main  and  Hanover  streets,  was  burnt  many  years  ago.  In  its 
stead  a  large,  brick  structure  has  recently  been  erected,  called  the 
Enterprise  Building,  the  lower  part  of  which  is  used  for  store  and 
postoffice  and  the  upper  floors  for  a  public  hall,  sleeping  apart- 
ments and  offices.  This  Farmers'  Hotel  was  regarded  as  the  lead- 
ing hotel  of  the  town  in  its  day,  and  was  headquarters  for  both 
stage  lines — Extra  Billy    (afterwards  Governor  and  Confederate 


166  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

General)  Smith's*  and  Colonel  Porter's.  It  was  kept  at  different 
times  by  James  Young,  Wm.  E.  Bowen,  Bowen  and  Ramsay,  Tur- 
ner H.  Ramsay,  Charles  E.  Tackett,  Peter  Goolrick  and  Daniel 
Bradford. 

The  Exchange  Hotel,  so  well  known  and  in  operation  to-day,  on 
the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Hanover  streets,  was  built  in  1837 
by  Wm.  D.  Green.  The  brick  work  of  this  building,  which  was 
destroyed  by  fire  in  1850,  is  said  to  have  been  the  handsomest  in  the 
State.  The  front  walls  were  of  pressed  brick,  oil  finished  and  were 
of  a  beautiful  red.  The  first  building  had  three  stories  and  a  hall 
for  theatrical  purposes,  with  an  entrance  on  Hanover  street.  This 
hall  was  known  as  "Green's  Assembly,"  and  very  fine  companies 
occupied  it,  many  of  them  for  several  nights  in  succession.  The 
present  three-story  building  was  commenced  soon  after  the  first  one 
was  burnt,  but  was  not  fully  completed  until  after  the  late  Civil 
war.  The  Exchange  was  first  opened  by  Mrs.  Wm.  D.  Green  and 
was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Fenton  Brooke  Smith.  Since  the  Civil  war 
it  has  been  conducted  respectively  by  W.  T.  Freaner,  Captain 
George  Henry  Peyton,  Cadmus  B.  Luck,  Cotton  and  Hills,  H.  B. 
Tuttle,  John  Ultz  and  W.  L.  Laughlin,  who  is  the  present  land- 
lord. 

Just  above  the  Exchange  Hotel,  on  Hanover  street,  was  the 
Eagle  Hotel.  It  has  recently  been  refitted  for  families  and  room- 
renters  and  is  known  as  the  "Eagle  Flats."     The  Eagle  was  very 


*  General  Smith  got  his  name  Extra  Billy  while  In  the  stage  business,  long 
before  he  was  either  General  or  Governor  Smith.  It  Is  reported  to  have  hap- 
pened In  this  way  :  At  certain  seasons  of  the  year,  before  the  days  of  rail- 
roads, travel  was  very  heavy  and  far  beyond  the  capacity  of  the  regular  stages 
on  the  road,  which  was  the  only  means  of  travel  over  land  at  that  time.  When 
this  occurred  Billy  Smith,  as  he  was  called,  would  put  on  an  extra  stage,  and 
If  the  travel  still  increased  he  would  put  on  another,  and  so  on,  until  some- 
times he  would  have  on  the  road  four  or  five  stages,  where  one  usually  did  the 
work.  On  this  account,  and  because  of  his  unsurpassed  politeness,  he  became 
popular  with  travellers.  On  this  occasion  a  traveller  was  anxious  to  get  to 
Washington,  and  could  get  no  seat  in  the  stage.  In  hustling  around  he  found 
two  or  three  others  who  were  anxious  to  go,  but,  like  himself,  could  not  get 
accommodations  on  any  part  of  the  stage,  and  the  agent  declared  it  impossible 
to  provide  for  them.  The  Impatient  and  anxious  traveller  cried  out  "Where  Is 
Extra  Billy?"  Extra  Billy  was  sent  for,  an  extra  stage  was  provided  and  the 
travellers  went  on  their  way  rejoicing,  but  "Extra  Billy"  remained  with  Mr. 
Smith,  following  him  to  his  grave. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  167 

popular  in  its  day  and  was  a  favorite  stopping  place  for  the  farm- 
ers. It  had  a  very  good  patronage  also  from  passengers  on  the 
two  stage  lines.  No  hotel  has  been  kept  there  for  many  years.  In 
its  day  it  was  conducted  by  James  Newby,  James  Cunningham, 
Jesse  Pullen,  Wm.  P.  Quisenberry  and  Wm.  H.  Murphy. 

The  Alhambra,  on  Main  street,  just  below  the  Exchange  Hotel, 
was  first  kept  by  James  Timberlake,  who  was  succeeded  by  Samuel 
Stone,  and  he  by  Charles  F.  Barlosius.  After  the  death  of  Mr. 
Barlosius,  several  years  ago,  the  house  was  repaired  and  remodelled 
by  Capt.  Thomas  P.  Wallace  and  leased  to  John  W.  Allison,  Jr., 
who  conducted  it  some  time  as  the  Alsonia.  Some  years  ago  it  was 
purchased  by  Mr.  Michael  Long,  who  conducted  it  until  his  death. 
It  is  now  a  restaurant. 

On  the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Charlotte  streets  stood  the 
Indian  Queen  Hotel.  This  was  a  fine,  old  building,  erected  prob- 
ably in  colonial  times  for  a  hotel,  with  a  porch  the  entire  length  of 
the  building,  with  colonnade.  It  was  the  favorite  stopping 
place  for  members  of  Congress  and  other  travellers  going  to  and 
from  Washington.*  The  first  proprietor  of  the  Indian  Queen,  in 
the  memory  of  our  oldest  inhabitant,  was  Jacob  Herndon.  He 
was  succeeded  by  James  Young,  John  Gray,  Eobert  Blackburn  and 
Mr.  Iiawlings.  The  last  to  occupy  it  was  a  Mr.  Whiting,  and 
during  his  occupancy,  in  May  1832,  the  building  was  destroyed  by 
fire  and  was  never  rebuilt.  The  lot  to  this  large  building  extended 
to  Princess  Ann  street,  and  the  stage  yard  and  stables  were  located 
where  the  Southern  Foundry  now  stands.  It  was  in  this  building 
that  the  statute  of  religious  liberty  was  considered,  adopted  and 
written,  and  it  is  a  matter  of  great  regret  that  the  house  was  de- 
stroyed. The  committee  that  produced  this  wonderful  document, 
which  is   given   elsewhere,   was  composed   of   Thomas   Jefferson, 

*  It  Is  said  on  one  occasion  John  Randolph,  of  Roanoke,  stopped  here.  It 
was  soon  known,  and  the  Democrats  congregated  to  entertain  him.  They  pre- 
pared a  bowl  of  punch  in  an  adjoining  room,  and  when  it  was  ready  Mr.  Ran- 
dolph was  invited  to  meet  the  gentlemen  and  join  them  in  something  to  drink. 
In  a  gruff  voice,  he  replied  to  the  committee  that  waited  on  him,  "I  don't  drink 
with  strangers,  and  if  I  can't  rest  here  one  night  without  being  disturbed  by  a 
mob,  I  will  drive  to  the  Sycamores.  The  Sycamores  was  a  hotel  twelve  miles 
from  town  on  the  Bowling  Green  road.  It  was  said  he  was  not  again  dis- 
turbed. 


168  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

George  Wythe,  Archibald  Cary,  George  Mason  and  Ludwell  Lee. 

On  the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Frederick  streets  stood  Travel- 
ler's Rest,  a  tavern  of  considerable  notoriety  and  popularity,  kept 
by  Jesse  Pullen.  It  was  headquarters  for  all  circuses  and  manag- 
eries,  and  was  frequented  by  large  numbers  of  laboring  men  after 
their  day's  toil  was  over.  Here  were  talked  politics  and  the  general 
topics  of  the  day  by  the  ward  politicians,  and  where  they  laid 
schemes  to  carry  elections.  The  house  was  destroyed  some  years 
before  the  Civil  war  and  the  lot  remained  vacant  for  nearly  sixty 
years. 

The  Western  Hotel  was  located  at  the  corner  of  Commerce  and 
Charles  streets,  where  Mr.  Robert  T.  Knox  and  Brother  keep  store. 
It  was  a  frame  building,  and  the  business  was  conducted  first  by 
Thomas  Procter,  then  by  Walker  Lucas,  who  was  succeeded  by  Mr. 
Joseph  Sanford.  Mr.  Sanford,  some  years  before  the  war,  tore  the 
old  frame  building  down  and  erected  the  present  three  and  a  half 
story  brick  structure  and  changed  its  name  to  the  Planters'  Hotel. 
During  the  Civil  war  it  was  conducted  by  Mr.  Councellor  Cole,  and 
a  short  time  after  the  war  by  a  Mr.  Mitzell.  Since  then  it  has  not 
been  kept  as  a  hotel.* 

Liberty  Hotel  was  located  on  Liberty  street,  then  outside  of  the 
corporate  limits,  but  now  a  part  of  the  town.  For  many  years  it 
was  kept  by  Boswell  Alsop  and  was  headquarters  for  the  sporting 
men  of  the  town.  General  Sam  Houston,  after  his  return  from 
frontier  life,  spent  much  of  his  time  at  this  hotel,  and  quite  a 
number  of  the  leading  men  of  the  South,  on  their  journeys  to  and 
from  Washington,  made  it  their  stopping  place.  It  is  an  old- 
fashioned  frame  house,  one  story  and  a  half  high,  of  the  same  style 
of  architecture  as  the  Mary  Washington  house,  and  shows  that  both 
of  them  were  built  about  the  same  time. 


*  At  the  corner  of  Commerce  and  Charles  streets,  in  front  of  this  hotel,  is  a 
stone  block  about  two  and  a  half  feet  high  and  some  two  feet  in  diameter.  It 
was  placed  there  many  years  before  the  Civil  war,  it  is  said,  for  the  sale  and 
annual  hire  of  slaves.  The  slave  to  be  sold  was  required  to  stand  on  this 
block  in  the  presence  of  the  gathered  traders,  when  he  or  she  was  "cried  out" 
by  the  auctioneer  to  the  highest  bidder.  Those  slaves  who  were  publicly  hired 
out  for  the  year  also  took  their  stand  on  this  block  and  were  hired  out  at  the 
highest  price  bid.  There  is  probably  no  relic  in  Fredericksburg  that  calls  back 
more  vividly  the  days  of  slavery  than  does  this  stone  block. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  169 

AGRICULTURAL    FAIRS. 

We  have  no  means  of  ascertaining  where  the  fairs  previously  re- 
ferred to  were  held  or  how  long  they  were  continued  under  the  act 
of  1769,  or  any  similar  act  that  might  have  been  passed  by  the  Leg- 
islature after  Virginia  became  a  State.  In  the  first  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  an  agricultural  fair  was  held  on  the  Kenmore  farm, 
near  the  Kenmore  building.  The  gate  leading  to  the  grounds  was 
on  Lewis  street,  where  it  intersects  with  Winchester  street.  The 
stock  was  exhibited  on  the  fair  grounds  and  the  ladies'  department 
was  kept  on  the  upper  floor  of  the  present  city  hall. 

At  one  time  Mr.  Samuel  Gordon,  then  proprietor  of  Kenmore, 
was  president  of  the  association,  who  was  succeeded  by  Hon.  James 
M.  Garnett,  of  Essex  county.  It  was  the  custom  of  this  association 
to  have  an  address  by  the  president  on  the  first  night  of  the  exhibi- 
tion on  agriculture  and  stock  raising,  which  was  one  of  the  main 
features  of  the  fair,  and  drew  together  a  large  number  of  farmers 
and  others  to  hear  it. 

A  silver  cup,  awarded  to  Mr.  Jacob  Gore  for  the  best  wheat  fan 
exhibited  at  one  of  these  fairs,  is  now  in  possession  of  Police  Officer 
Charles  A.  Gore,  a  grandson  of  Mr.  Jacob  Gore.  It  is  in  a  good  state 
of  preservation,  the  inscription  on  it  being  "Presented  by  the  Fred- 
ericksburg Agricultural  Society,  1823."  On  the  left  of  the  inscrip- 
tion is  a  wheat  fan,  beautifully  engraved,  near  which  is  the  letter 
J,  which  stands  for  Jacob,  and  on  the  right  is  another  fan,  near 
which  is  the  letter  G,  standing  for  Gore.  We  do  not  know  when 
these  annual  fairs  ceased. 

About  the  year  1850,  possibly  a  little  earlier,  fair  grounds  were 
laid  out  on  Green  House  Hill,  covering  most  of  that  part  of  the 
town  where  Prof.  A.  B.  Bowering  now  lives.  A  Mr.  White,  of 
Caroline  county,  was  the  first  president,  Mr.  W.  N".  Wellford  suc- 
ceeding him  to  that  office.  The  first  steam  engine  for  threshing 
wheat  ever  seen  in  this  country  was  exhibited  at  one  of  these  fairs 
by  the  Hope  Foundry,  of  this  place,  then  operated  by  Messrs.  Scott 
and  Herndon.  It  was  constructed  by  Mr.  Benjamin  Bowering,  fore- 
man of  the  works.  A  committee  of  farmers  was  appointed  to  ex- 
amine it  and  report  upon  its  merits.     After  witnessing  its  work  the 


170  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

committee  condemned  it,  because  "it  would  burn  all  the  wheat  up." 
Fairs  were  held  on  these  grounds  about  three  years. 

A  year  or  so  after  the  Green  House  Hill  fair  grounds  were  closed, 
the  grounds  on  which  Major  W.  S.  Embrey  now  lives  and  those  in 
front  of  him  for  some  distance  east  of  Spotswood  street  were  pur- 
chased and  converted  into  fair  grounds.  Very  successful  fairs 
were  held  there  until  the  commencement  of  the  Civil  war,  when 
they  were  closed.  The  last  fair  held  on  these  grounds  was  in  1860, 
only  a  few  months  before  hostilities  actually  commenced.  At  one 
time  Major  J.  Horace  Lacy  was  president  of  this  society  and  Major 
J.  Harrison  Kelly  was  secretary. 

After  the  closing  of  the  fair  grounds,  in  I860,  Fredericksburg 
had  no  other  fair  for  twenty-five  years.  In  1887  steps  were  taken 
by  the  citizens  of  the  town  to  inaugurate  annual  fairs.  A  charter 
for  a  society  was  obtained,  stock  was  subscribed  for  and  the  Amaret 
farm,  on  the  Fall  Hill  road  west  of  the  town  and  bordering  on  the 
Rappahannock  river,  was  purchased  and  converted  into  excellent 
fair  grounds.  The  society  inaugurating  these  fairs  is  known  as  the 
Rappahannock  Valley  Agricultural  and  Mechanical  Society,  and  its 
annual  fairs  have  been  a  great  success.  The  presidents  of  the 
society  from  its  organization  have  been  Hon.  A.  P.  Rowe,  of  Fred- 
ericksburg; Charles  Pierson,  Esq.,  of  Caroline  county;  Hon.  S. 
Wellford  Corbin,  of  King  George  county;  Mr.  Oliver  Eastburn,  of 
Spotsylvania  county;  Frank  W.  Smith,  of  Spotsylvania  county; 
Captain  Terence  McCracken,  of  Fredericksburg ;  Colonel  E.  Dorsey 
Cole,  of  Fredericksburg;  Capt.  M.  B.  Rowe,  of  Spotsylvania;  Chas. 
H.  Hurkamp,  of  Stafford;  Henry  Dannehl,  of  Fredericksburg,  and 
Thomas  F.  Morrison,  of  Spotsylvania. 

FERRIES  AND  TOLL  BRIDGES. 

The  first  ferry  across  the  Rappahannock  river,  provided  by  law, 
was  an  act  of  the  House  of  Burgesses  passed  in  1748.  This  act 
provided  for  a  ferry  from  the  Fredericksburg  warehouse,  where 
the  tobacco  was  deposited  and  inspected  by  public,  bonded  inspec- 
tors, to  the  land  of  Anthony  Strother,  on  the  Stafford  side  of  the 
river.     The  charge  for  a  horse,  which  seems  to  have  been  the  only 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  171 

one  regulated  by  law,  was  fixed  at  three  pence.  In  the  year  1796 
a  petition  was  presented  to  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  for 
leave  to  build  a  toll-bridge  across  the  Eappahannock  river  from 
the  lower  line  of  the  land  of  William  Fitzhugh,  of  Chatham.  The 
Legislature  granted  the  request  and  Mr.  Fitzhugh  built  the  bridge, 
which  was  kept  open  for  the  public  travel  as  a  toll-bridge  until 
1889. 

This  bridge  has  been  destroyed  several  times,  some  times  by 
floods  and  at  other  times  by  fire,  and  has  been  rebuilt,  but  the  dates 
of  its  destruction  have  passed  from  the  minds  of  our  oldest  citizens. 
The  only  dates  that  can  be  given,  with  anything  like  accuracy,  are, 
that  in  1820  it  was  destroyed  by  a  great  flood,  in  1861  by  fire,  in 
accordance  with  military  orders,  and  in  1889  by  another  great  flood. 
In  1890  the  city  purchased  the  site  and  constructed  the  present  iron 
bridge,  which  is  about  one  thousand  feet  long.  On  its  completion 
it  was  opened  to  free  travel  and  has  been  continued  such  to  the 
present  time.  It  was  at  first  a  toll-bridge  and  owned  by  private 
parties  for  nearly  a  century,  and  yet  so  far  as  we  can  discover  there 
have  been  but  three  owners  up  to  the  time  it  was  purchased  by  the 
city.  These  three  were  William  Fitzhugh,  Esq.,  Judge  John  Coul- 
ter and  Charles  S.  Scott. 

Near  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  a  covered  bridge 
spanned  the  river  at  the  foot  of  Wolfe  street,  landing  on  the  farm 
on  the  opposite  side  of  the  Eappahannock.  The  farm  was  then 
owned  by  a  Mr.  Thompson.  No  one  knows  when  this  bridge  was 
built  or  to  whom  it  belonged.  It  was  knQwn  as  the  Stafford 
bridge,  as  the  one  above  it  was  known  as  the  Chatham  bridge, 
until  it  was  purchased  by  Mr.  Scott,  after  which  it  was  known  as 
Scott's  bridge.  The  two  bridges  were  destroyed  in  the  flood  of 
1820  and  the  Stafford  bridge  was  never  rebuilt. 

CARE  OF  THE  DEPENDENT  POOR. 

The  first  move  made  by  the  Common  Council,  or  any  other  town 
organization,  to  provide  for  the  dependent  poor  of  the  town  was 
on  the  25th  of  January,  1805,  when  the  hustings  court  appointed 
five  commissioners — Elisha  Thatcher,  James  Smock,  Wm.  Benson, 


172  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Benjamin  Botts  and  Wm.  Taylor — to  "enquire  into  the  probable 
and  comparative  expense  of  erecting  or  renting  a  poor  and  work 
house  for  the  reception  of  the  poor  of  the  corporation,  and  ascer- 
tain the  probable  salary  of  a  steward  for  such  poor  and  work  house 
and  the  annual  expense  of  supporting  the  same." 

These  commissioners  were  empowered  to  receive  propositions 
from  persons  desiring  to  rent  suitable  houses  for  the  purpose,  and 
to  ascertain  who  would  be  willing  to  act  as  steward  and  report  at 
the  next  session  of  the  court.  The  report  was  submitted  at  the 
March  term  of  the  court  and  was  approved  and  filed;  when 
another  commission  was  appointed,  with  Dr.  George  French  as 
chairman,  to  "rent  a  house  for  a  term  of  one  or  more  years,"  at  a 
cost  not  exceeding  fifty  pounds,  and  John  F.  Gaullier  was  ap- 
pointed steward  of  the  poor  and  work  house. 

The  steward  was  to  be  "allowed  a  salary  at  the  rate  of  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  per  annum,  with  two  rooms  and  so  much 
provisions  as  may  be  necessary  for  himself  and  family,"  which 
should  not  exceed  three  in  number.  He  was  to  be  at  his  post  at  all 
times  to  receive  the  poor  into  the  poor  and  work  house,  to  "treat 
them  with  tenderness  and  humanity,  but  at  the  same  time  to  make 
them  work."  For  the  better  government  of  the  institution  five 
inspectors  were  appointed  by  the  court,  consisting  of  George  French, 
from  the  lower  end  of  the  town  to  Wolfe  street ;  James  Brown,  from 
Wolfe  to  Hanover  street;  James  Smock,  from  Hanover  to  William 
street;  Stephen  Winchester,  from  William  to  Lewis  street,  and 
Wm.  Taylor,  from  Lewis  street  to  the  upper  end  of  town.  From 
the  record  it  appears  that  John  Minor  was  appointed  inspector  for 
the  town  at  large. 

The  inspectors  were  instructed  to  place  all  the  poor  in  the  poor 
and  work  house  and  to  "advertise  a  request  to  the  inhabitants  to 
assist  no  poor  person  residing  in  town,  lest  imposition  and  idle- 
ness be  encouraged."  This  manner  of  providing  for  the  poor 
seems  to  have  been  continued  to  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  war, 
and,  in  addition  to  looking  after  the  steward  and  the  inmates 
of  the  poor  and  work  house,  the  inspectors  (more  frequently  re- 
corded overseers  of  the  poor),  were  to  bind  out  all  orphans  who 
had  no  one  to  look  after  and  provide  for  them. 


The  Exchange  Hotel. 
(See  page  166) 


The  Fredericksburg  College. 
(See  page  198) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  173 

It  is  not  stated  in  what  part  of  the  town  the  first  poor  house  was 
located,  but  for  many  years  before  the  Civil  war  it  was  located  on 
the  Lang  property,  near  Gunnery  spring,  and  afterwards  the  poor 
were  quartered  in  a  brick  house  near  the  western  limit  of  Princess 
Elizabeth  street,  which  was  rented  for  the  purpose  and  which  is 
now  owned  by  the  Eichmond,  Fredericksburg  and  Potomac  Kail- 
road  Company. 

After  the  war,  for  about  eighteen  years,  the  poor  were  main- 
tained at  the  private  houses,  with  such  families  as  would  agree  to 
take  them.  In  some  instances  the  town  paid  rent  for  the  houses 
for  the  families  who  would  take  one  of  the  poor,  and  in  others  a 
stipulated  amount  per  month  for  their  maintenance.  This  manner 
of  providing  for  the  poor  caused  much  complaint,  both  from  the 
city  and  its  dependents.  The  city  authorities  charged  that  the 
cost  per  capita  was  entirety  too  much,  running  annually  in  the 
aggregate  from  two  to  three  thousand  dollars,  and  the  poor  com- 
plained that  they  were  neglected  in  both  food  and  clothing. 

But  the  overseer  of  the  poor  (the  number  having  been  reduced 
from  five  to  one  under  the  city  ordinances)  aided  and  assisted  by  a 
committee  of  three  from  the  Common  Council,  could  do  no  better 
with  the  facilities  at  his  disposal,  and  while  the  subject  continued 
to  be  discussed  the  Council  had  been  slow  in  making  any  change. 
This  inaction,  however,  was  not  because  the  citizens  did  not  favor 
providing  better  methods  for  taking  care  of  the  poor,  because  the 
public  favored  it,  and  the  necessity  was  recognized,  but  because 
no  member  felt  willing  to  take  the  lead  in  such  a  movement. 

In  the  Fall  of  1882  a  case  of  small  pox  broke  out  in  town,  and, 
strange  as  it  may  appear,  it  caused  the  erection  of  the  present 
almshouse.  The  small  pox  case  occurred  near  the  corner  of  Prin- 
cess Ann  and  Frederick  streets.  The  citizens  in  that  part  of  the 
town  became  greatly  alarmed  and  a  stampede  was  threatened.  An 
extra  session  of  the  Common  Council  was  called  in  haste,  to  make 
arrangements  for  the  removal  of  the  patient  (a  colored  man)  to 
some  isolated  place.  The  Council  met  and  discussed  the  matter, 
but  it  was  found  that  there  was  no  place  to  which  he  could  be 
moved.     The  town  owned  no  land  where  a  temporary  hospital  could 


174  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

be  erected,  and  land  owners  declined  to  rent  to  the  city,  for  spread- 
ing a  tent  or  for  erecting  a  temporary  hospital. 

In  this  condition  of  things  the  economy  of  having  an  almshouse, 
in  which  to  keep  the  poor,  entered  very  largely  into  the  discussion, 
and  the  result  was  the  farm  and  residence  of  Mr.  Frank  Beckwith, 
on  the  hill  about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  town,  was  purchased  for 
seventeen  hundred  dollars.  The  small  pox  patient,  to  the  great 
delight  of  the  citizens  in  the  lower  end  of  town,  was  at  once  sent 
to  that  place  and  the  excitement  subsided. 

The  following  year  the  residence  on  the  farm  was  greatly  en- 
larged and  a  commodious  department  for  the  colored  poor  was 
built,  under  the  direction  of  the  Committee  on  Poor  of  the  Com- 
mon Council,  consisting  of  Messrs.  S.  J.  Quinn,  E.  D.  Cole  and 
M.  B.  Rowe,  and  the  dependent  poor  of  the  town  were  sent  to 
"Mount  Nebo,"  which  was  the  name  given  to  the  place,  because  of 
its  commanding  position  and  the  splendid  view  of  the  town  and 
surrounding  country  from  that  point. 

Since  the  poor  have  been  kept  at  the  almshouse  they  are  better 
provided  for  and  are  better  satisfied,  besides  they  are  more  com- 
fortable than  under  the  former  system,  and  the  expense  of  main- 
taining them  has  been  reduced  fully  one-half.  Mr.  Albert  Hooton, 
who  was  overseer  of  the  poor  of  the  town  prior  to  the  erection  of 
the  almshouse,  was  the  first  superintendent  of  the  institution.  Mr. 
Hooton  died  on  the  23rd  of  November,  1897,  and  Mr.  John  Wesley 
Ball  was  elected  to  the  vacancy  and  is  now  serving.  Mr.  A.  Mason 
Garner  is  chairman  of  the  committee  of  the  Council  having  the 
almshouse  in  charge,  and  while  it  is  conducted  on  economical  prin- 
ciples, the  poor  are  well  provided  for,  in  both  food  and  clothing. 

WATER  WORKS. 

For  more  than  one  hundred  years  after  the  charter  by  the  House 
of  Burgesses  the  town  was  without  water  works  of  any  description. 
About  the  year  1832  a  private  company  constructed  the  Poplar 
Springs  Water  Works,  which  distributed  through  the  principal 
streets  of  the  town  the  elegant  water  from  Poplar  springs,  located 
on  the  Plank  road,  half  a  mile  west  of  the  city.     About  ten  years 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  175 

afterwards  the  Smith  spring  was  added,  which  increased  the 
supply.  But  notwithstanding  the  addition  of  the  Smith  spring 
the  supply  was  very  inadequate;  yet  for  more  than  half  a  century 
these  springs,  together  with  street  pumps,  furnished  the  only  supply 
the  town  had.  The  works  were  constructed  by  a  Northern  con- 
tractor, whose  name  is  not  remembered,  and  are  yet  operated. 
Since  the  Civil  war  these  works  were  under  the  superintendency 
of  Captain  Joseph  W.  Sener,  until  his  death,  in  1889,  since  which 
time  Mr.  Robert  Lee  Stoffregen  has  been  superintendent. 

The  inadequacy  of  the  water  supply  for  domestic  and  manu- 
facturing purposes,  and  the  great  necessity  for  fire  protection,  were 
subjects  for  the  consideration  of  the  Common  Council  for  many 
years,  without  definite  action.  On  several  occasions  committees 
were  instructed  to  have  surveys  and  estimates  made  for  a  system  of 
water  works,  which  were  done  and  recommendations  had  been  made 
by  some  of  the  committees  that  works  should  be  constructed,  but 
the  Council  in  each  case  had  failed  to  act  upon  them.  As  a  case  of 
small  pox  contributed  to  the  erection  of  a  long-needed  almshouse, 
so  a  fire,  that  threatened  the  town  with  destruction,  showing  the 
authorities  how  helpless  they  were  when  confronted  by  flames,  con- 
tributed to  the  construction  of  water  works. 

The  fire  occurred  in  rear  of  George  E.  Chancellor's  store  in  1883, 
at  the  corner  of  Charles  and  Commerce  streets,  now  conducted  by 
M.  S.  Chancellor,  and  while  it  was  confined  to  the  premises  and 
did  but  little  damage,  it  threatened  to  be  a  serious  conflagration. 
There  was  no  fire  department  in  town  and  no  water  to  supply  an 
engine,  if  one  was  sent  from  Richmond.  This  aroused  the  author- 
ities and  the  people  generally,  whose  property  was  constantly 
threatened  with  destruction,  and  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  Council 
a  plan  was  adopted  for  "an  abundant  supply  of  water  for  all  pur- 
poses, including  fire  protection,"  which  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of 
the  citizens  for  their  approval  or  disapproval. 

The  plan  submitted  was  adopted  at  the  ballot-box  by  a  large 
majority,  and  a  special  committee  of  the  Council  was  appointed  to 
carry  out  the  will  of  the  people,  thus  expressed,  and  construct  the 
works,  consisting  of  Messrs.  S.  J.  Quinn,  James  S.  Knox,  Charles 


176  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

E.  Hunter,  Terence  McCracken  and  Wm.  E.  Bradley.  After 
arranging  the  necessary  preliminaries  the  committee  contracted 
with  Colonel  Wm.  W.  Taylor,  of  Philadelphia,  who  constructed  the 
works  and  turned  them  over  to  the  committee  in  the  latter  part  of 
February,  1885,  at  a  cost  of  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  Mr.  Ben- 
jamin Bowering  having  been  appointed  by  the  committee  to  super- 
intend the  laying  of  pipe,  setting  of  the  pump,  etc. 

The  introduction  of  water  into  the  buildings,  the  extension  of 
water  mains,  the  changing  of  the  old  for  newly-patented  fire  hy- 
drants, and  the  erection  of  additional  fire  hydrants  since  the  works 
have  been  in  possession  of  the  town,  together  with  additional 
pumps  and  steam  engine  and  boiler,  have  increased  the  cost  of  the 
works  to  about  fifty  thousand  dollars.  At  present  there  are  about 
eighteeen  miles  of  pipe,  ranging  in  size  from  eight  inches  to  one 
inch,  and  seventy-two  fire  hydrants.  These  hydrants  are  so  located 
that  they  protect  from  fire  all  the  property  of  the  town. 

The  reservoir  pressure  is  from  fifty  to  fifty-six  pounds  to  the 
square  inch,  according  to  draught,  which  is  sufficient  to  throw 
streams  of  water  over  any  of  our  ordinary  buildings.  The  pres- 
sure, by  the  use  of  the  pump,  can  be  raised  to  one  hundred  pounds 
to  the  square  inch. 

The  water  is  taken  from  the  Rappahannock  river,  which  is 
known  to  furnish  the  softest  and  purest  of  water,  the  analysis  show- 
ing that  it  is  free  from  any  foreign  substance,  and  the  reservoirs 
are  so  well  arranged  that  the  citizens  are  seldom  served  with  water 
that  is  the  least  discolored.  The  works  are  under  the  control  of  a 
committee  of  the  Common  Council  and  a  superintendent.  Since 
their  construction  they  have  been  under  the  superintendency  of 
Captain  S.  J.  Quinn,  and  they  are  in  good  condition  and  a  paying 
investment '  to  the  city,  at  a  comparative  small  cost  to  the  con- 
sumers. The  present  water  committee  consists  of  Josiah  P.  Rowe, 
H.  B.  Lane  and  A.  M.  Garner. 

THE    OLD   GAS    WORKS. 

The  old  gas  works  of  the  town  were  constructed  by  a  private 
company  in  1843-44,  at  a  cost,  it  is  said,  of  about  forty  thousand 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  177 

dollars.  The  works  have  changed  hands  several  times  since  their 
completion,  it  being  a  private  company,  and  most  of  the  stock 
holders  residents  of  Philadelphia.  In  consequence  of  the  wear  and 
tear  of  the  works,  and  the  erection  of  an  electric  plant  in  town  some 
twelve  years  ago,  which  secured  the  contract  for  lighting  the  streets, 
the  stock  of  the  gas  company  depreciated  very  much  in  value,  and 
an  effort  was  made  on  the  part  of  the  town  to  purchase  the  works. 
For  this  purpose  a  special  committee  was  appointed  by  the  Com- 
mon Council,  consisting  of  Messrs.  Wm.  I.  King,  M.  G.  Willis, 
James  S.  Knox,  Wm.  E.  Bradley  and  John  T.  Knight.  They 
entered  into  negotiations  with  the  officers  of  the  company  and 
finally  purchased  the  works  at  a  cost  of  twenty  thousand  dollars. 
Since  their  purchase  the  works  have  been  placed  in  good  repair 
and  the  mains  have  been  extended  in  many  parts  of  the  town  where 
they  did  not  before  run.  There  were  about  nine  miles  of  pipe,  but 
it  was  claimed  by  many  who  had  examined  the  works  that  the  plant 
was  too  small  to  supply  the  town,  and  there  was  much  complaint 
of  "no  gas"  on  the  part  of  the  consumers,  but  it  was  then  fashion- 
able to  complain  against  the  city  even  if  you  were  getting  what 
you  wanted,  and  so  the  matter  went  on  until  the  "spirit  of  improve- 
ment" struck  the  town  and  estimates  for  a  new  gas  plant  were 
ordered,  and  before  many  months  passed  it  was  decided  that  the 
old  works  must  be  abandoned  and  a  new  plant  constructed  on  a 
new  site.  And  so  the  work  of  construction  commenced  and  went 
forward  with  great  rapidity.  After  the  new  plant  was  completed, 
and  had  been  in  running  order. for  some  time,  the  superintendent 
was  asked  for  an  article  on  the  works  for  this  volume,  and  he  re- 
marked that  during  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1904  it  became 
obvious  that  the  old  gas  plant,  which  had  been  supplying  the  city 
with  gas  for  fifty  years,  had  gone  beyond  repair,  and  that  for  the 
sake  of  economy  it  would  be  necessary  to  erect  a  new  plant.  With 
this  end  in  view  a  plot  of  ground  was  selected  near  the  railroad 
depot  and  alongside  the  right-of-way  of  the  railroad,  and  here  the 
new  works  were  built.  Mr.  Frederic  Egner,  an  eminent  gas  engi- 
neer, was  selected  to  draw  the  plans  and  engineer  the  construction. 
12 


178  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Early  in  May,  1905,  ground  was  broken  and  work  progressed 
rapidly,  and  on  the  25th  of  November  the  first  gas  was  made  in  the 
new  plant,  and  by  the  28th  everything  was  working  smoothly  and 
the  old  plant  was  abandoned.  The  plant  is  what  is  known  as  a 
coal  gas  works,  using  soft  coal  for  manufacturing  the  gas.  The 
manufacturing  end  of  the  plant  consists  of  two  benches  of  inclined 
retorts,  four  to  the  bench,  with  half  depths  regenerative  furnaces, 
and  has  a  manufacturing  capacity  of  100,000  cubic  feet  of  gas 
each  day  of  twenty-four  hours. 

Our  plant  is  one  of  the  most  modern  in  the  country,  and  no  small 
plant  now  built  surpasses  it.  Mr.  Wm.  Fitzpatrick,  who  had  faith- 
fully served  the  city  as  superintendent  of  the  old  plant  for  many 
years,  retired  upon  the  completion  of  the  new  plant  and  Mr.  B.  F. 
Bullock  was  made  superintendent.  Gas  is  $1.00  per  thousand,  and 
Mr.  John  C.  Melville  is  chairman  of  the  committee. 

THE  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  PLANT. 

Fredericksburg  was  rather  tardy  in  obtaining  an  electric  light 
plant  for  street  lighting,  either  through  a  private  company  or  by 
city  purchase.  While  the  propriety  of  constructing  a  plant  by  the 
town  was  under  consideration  by  the  citizens,  and  often  before  the 
Council,  application  was  made  by  a  private  company  to  erect  one 
and  the  privilege  was  at  once  granted.  In  1887  a  plant  of  the 
Thompson-Houston  system  was  erected  by  a  Mr.  NcNett.  Soon 
after  its  construction  Mr.  McNett  formed  a  company,  many  of 
whose  members  were  citizens  of  the  town.  It  has  been  purchased 
by  others  and  is  now  the  Rappahannock  Light  Co.,  with  some 
changes.  It  has  furnished  the  town  with  arc  lights  for  the  streets 
and  many  of  the  buildings  with  incandescent  lights.  The  dynamo 
and  power  house  were  first  located  at  Knox's  mill,  above  town, 
but  afterwards  removed  above  the  Bridge  Water  mills,  where  they 
are  at  present. 

THE  CITY'S  ELECTRIC  LIGHT  PLANT. 

The  town  authorities,  concluding  that  our  streets  could  be  lighted 
better  and  at  less  cost  if  they  had  a  plant  of  their  own,  arranged 
and  purchased  an  outfit  of  machinery,  wired  the  town  and  now  have 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  179 

some  seventy-five  lights  running.  Those  who  opposed  the  city 
owning  its  own  light  before  the  plant  was  constructed  have  now 
changed  their  minds,  not  only  as  to  the  constancy  and  brilliancy  of.; 
the  light,  but  also  of  the  cost  of  lighting  the  streets.  The  plant 
is  located  between  the  silk  and  woolen  mills  and  is  in  charge  oi' 
the  Light  Committee,  Mr.  Wm.  Key  Howard,  superintendent. 

TELEPHONE    COMPANY. 

In  1895  the  Occoquan  Woodbridge  Telephone  Company  was  or- 
ganized in  Fredericksburg  by  a  Mr.  Abner,  of  Occoquan,  and  a  tele- 
phone line  was  erected.  At  first  the  undertaking  did  not  appear  to 
be  popular  and  the  company  received  very  little  encouragement. 
After  the  construction  of  the  line  the  compan}^  beginning  with  a 
small  number  of  subscribers,  grew  rapidly  in  public  favor  and  were 
soon  enjoying  a  liberal  patronage. 

In  1897  all  the  property,  rights  and  franchises  were  purchased  by 
a  few  of  our  enterprising  citizens,  who  organized  and  changed  the 
name  of  the  company  to  the  Rappahannock,  Fredericksburg  and 
Piedmont  Telephone  Company;  but  subsequently  the  Bell  Com- 
pany extended  their  line  through  Fredericksburg  to  the  South  and 
the  local  company  sold  out  to  the  Bell.  The  service,  at  first  defec- 
tive, was  placed  in  splendid  condition,  and  the  service  now  equals 
that  of  the  most  favored  towns  and  cities.  Since  the  construction 
of  the  Bell  line  the  town  has  become  the  center  of  many  private 
country  lines,  which  place  the  citizens  in  communication  with  all 
contiguous  communities  as  well  as  with  the  cities  of  the  country^ 
The  present  manager  of  the  local  office  is  W.  T.  Jones. 

PIKE   DEPARTMENT. 

More  than  a  hundred  years  ago  Fredericksburg  had  an  organized' 
fire  department,  and  from  reports,  which,  however,  were  seldom 
made,  was  sufficient  in  extinguishing  fires.  In  the  early  part  of  the 
eighteenth  century,  when  the  town  was  built  up  mostly  of  wooden 
houses,  with  wooden  chimneys,  and  the  water  was  scarce  and  inac- 
cessible, several  fires  occurred  that  spread  over  considerable  terri- 
tory and  did  great  damage,  but  even  in  those  instances,  although. 


180  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

the  winds  were  high,  the  department  did  much  to  retard  the  pro- 
gress of  the  fires  and  finally  got  them  under  control. 

The  first  fire  company  organized  in  town  was  known  as  the 
Vigilant.  It  was  organized  in  1788  and  the  names  of  its  members 
were  certified  to  the  hustings  court  and  filed  with  the  court  papers, 
but  their  names  were  not  placed  on  the  record.  How  long  this 
company  remained  in  existence  is  not  known,  but  in  1814  the  Hope 
Company  was  organized,  which  was  soon  followed  by  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Union.  It  is  not  known  who  commanded  these  com- 
panies when  they  were  first  organized,  but  we  are  told  that  long 
before  the  middle  of  the  century  the  Hope  was  commanded  by 
Charles  C.  Wellford  and  afterwards  by  John  Pritchard,  and  the 
Union,  about  the  same  time,  was  commanded  by  Albert  G.  Lucas, 
who  was  succeeded  by  John  M.  Whittemore. 

These  fire  companies  had  suction  and  force  engines  and  got  water 
from  the  river,  street  pumps,  aDd  sometimes  from  the  canal  west 
of  the  town,  after  it  was  constructed,  using  the  source  most  conven- 
ient, and  did  effective  work.  It  is  said  the  rivalry  between  these 
organizations  was  very  great,  the  excitement  in  times  of  fires  was 
intense,  and  often  disputes  would  arise  between  the  members  as  to 
which  company  did  the  most  effective  work,  which  often  resulted  in 
blows.  When  they  were  in  their  prime  fires  were  frequent. 
Scarcely  a  week  passed  that  a  fire  did  not  occur,  and  often  two  or 
three  would  take  place  inside  of  a  week.  Then  there  was  a  grand 
rush  to  see  which  company  could  get  the  first  stream  of  water  on 
the  fire. 

The  frequent  fires  soon  led  to  the  suspicion  that  some  of  the 
firemen  originated  and  were  responsible  for  many  of  them,  and, 
strange  to  say,  the  disbandment  of  the  companies  was  encouraged 
!by  the  property  owners  of  the  town,  as  a  means  of  preventing  fires 
and  saving  property.  They  were  disbanded  before  the  Civil  war, 
and  since  that  time,  until  the  year  1885,  the  town  was  without  a 
fire  department,  and  was  without  any  means  of  contending  with  the 
flames,  save  the  feeble  efforts  of  citizens  in  what  was  styled  "the 
bucket  brigade."  This  name  was  applied  to  the  large  number 
of  citizens,  who,  in  times  of  fire,  carried  water  in  buckets  to  extin- 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  181 

guish  it,  and  used   "wet  blankets"  to  prevent  the  flames  from 
spreading  to  adjoining  buildings. 

In  1885,  after  the  completion  of  the  present  city  water  works, 
a  new  fire  department  was  organized,  with  thirty-three  members, 
with  Captain  Terence  McCracken  as  chief.  This  organization  is 
very  efficient,  and  has  on  several  occasions  saved  the  town  from 
sweeping  conflagrations.  The  department  is  now  under  the  com- 
mand of  John  H.  Robinson,  as  chief,  and  consists  of  twenty-two 
members,  all  of  whom  render  faithful  and  efficient  service  without 
compensation. 


CHAPTER  XIII 

Volunteer  Militia — The  Confederate  Cemetery — The  National 
Cemetery — The  Confederate  Veterans — The  Sons  of  Confed- 
erate Veterans — The  Schools,  Private  and  Public,  &c. 

In  times  of  peace  and  quiet,  in  free  America  and  even  in  con- 
servative Virginia,  it  is  necessary  that  cities  should  have  some  mili- 
tary organization  that  can  be  called  upon  to  protect  the  citizens 
in  their  persons,  rights  and  property  in  case  of  any  emergency 
that  might  arise.  It  is  true  that  such  cases  seldom  occur  in  Vir- 
ginia, but  if  they  should,  it  is  necessary  to  have  some  organized 
force,  under  the  laws  of  the  State,  to  meet  and  put  them  down. 
This  being  true,  Fredericksburg  has,  in  all  periods  of  her  history, 
encouraged  and  financially  assisted  volunteer  militia  companies. 

And  it  can  be  truthfully  stated  that,  in  all  the  past  of  the  town, 
the  young  men  have  shown  a  special  fondness  for  military  organi- 
zations, and,  so  far  as  we  can  gather  from  records  and  tradition, 
Fredericksburg  has  been  well  protected  in  this  direction.  It  is 
very  doubtful  if  at  any  time  since  Major  Lawrence  Smith  seated 
himself  "down  at  or  neare"  the  falls  of  the  Rappahannock  river  and 
manned  a  fort  with  one  hundred  and  eleven  men,  Fredericksburg 
had  not  a  military  organization,  either  active  or  dormant,  that  she 
could  easily  call  into  service  in  case  of  need.  It  is  quite  certain 
she  has  been  well  represented  in  every  war  since  the  settlement  of 
the  country,  in  which  her  sons  have  played  conspicuous  parts  and 
have  been  commended  for  their  gallantry  and  brilliant  achieve- 
ments. 

One  of  the  first  companies  remembered  from  tradition  was  com- 
manded by  a  Capt.  Blackford,  and  is  said  to  have  been  armed  with 
wooden  guns.  This  company  was  among  the  guard  of  honor  to 
Gen.  Lafayette  when  he  was  here  in  1824.  It  met  the  General  and 
his  suite  at  the  old  Wilderness  tavern,  escorted  him  to  Fredericks- 
burg, and,  when  he  left,  accompanied  him  as  far  as  Aquia  Creek,  on 
the  Potomac  river.     It  did  not  last  long  as  an  organization. 

The  first  company  remembered  by  the  oldest  inhabitants,  which 

[  182  ] 


The  Home  of  Dr.  Charles  Mortimer,  first  Mayor.     To  her  physician 

here  was  the  last  visit  made  by  Mary  Washington. 

Residence  now  of  Gen.  D.  D.  Wheeler. 

(See  page  151) 


The  Eagle  Hotel,  now  the  Eagle  Flats. 
(See  page  166)' 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  183 

lasted  any  length  of  time,  was  the  Fredericksburg  Guards,  which 
was  organized  many  years  before  the  Civil  war.  It  is  not  known 
exactly  when  it  was  formed  or  who  was  its  first  commander,  but  it 
is  remembered  that  at  different  periods  it  was  commanded  by  Cap- 
tains ¥m.  A.  Jackson,  Wm.  M.  Blackford,  Eobert  Smith,  John 
Pritchard  and  John  S.  Porter,  the  order  in  which  they  served  being 
in  doubt. 

A  company,  known  as  the  Mercer  Rifles,  was  also  organized  and 
commanded  by  Capt.  D.  Lee  Powell  some  years  before  the  war,  but 
in  a  year  or  so  it  was  disbanded  in  consequence  of  the  commander 
changing  his  residence  to  Richmond. 

In  the  early  part  of  1859  the  Washington  Guards  was  organized, 
with  Capt.  Joseph  W.  Sener  as  commander.  It  was  well  equipped 
and  elegantly  uniformed  and  drilled.  When  John  Brown  and  his 
party  were  captured  at  Harper's  Ferry  in  the  Fall  of  1859  by 
Colonel,  afterwards  Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee,  and  turned  over  to  the 
State  authorities,  this  company  was  ordered  to  Charlestown,  by 
Governor  Wise,  to  guard  the  prisoners,  and  remained  there  in  that 
capacity  until  the  last  of  the  party  was  executed,  when  they  were 
ordered  home. 

In  the  same  year,  1859,  the  Fredericksburg  Grays  was  organized, 
with  Captain  Wm.  S.  Barton  as  commander.  It  is  said  this  com- 
pany was  called  into  existence  because  of  the  excited  condition  of 
the  country  and  a  determination  on  the  part  of  the  young  men  of 
the  town  to  be  ready  for  any  emergency.  On  the  return  of  the 
Washington  Guards  from  Charlestown  they  were  met  at  the  railroad 
depot  by  the  Grays,  who  extended  them  a  warm  welcome  home, 
escorted  them  to  the  Shakespeare  House,  where  a  grand  banquet 
was  given  them,  which  was  followed  by  speeches  and  a  good  time. 

These  two  companies,  before  the  war  and  preparatory  thereto, 
were  formed  into  a  battalion,  of  which  Captain  Barton  was  made 
major,  Robert  S.  Chew  becoming  captain  of  the  Grays.  Many 
pleasant  excursions  and  picnics  were  given  by  this  battalion,  which 
are  well  remembered  by  many,  now  living,  who  were  participants 
and  enjoyed  them.  But  many  of  those  who  took  part  in  those 
pleasant  scenes  have  since  then  passed  to  the  Great  Beyond,  and 


184  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

those  now  with  us  show  the  marks  of  Time  upon  them  and  are 
patiently  waiting  for  the  last  call  that  shall  transfer  them  to  the 
great  army  above.  The  battalion  had  a  drum  corps,  consisting  of 
eleven  drums,  which  was  presided  over  by  Mr.  Pipenbrick,  of  Fal- 
mouth, who  was  appointed  drum  major. 

A  boy  company,  known  as  the  Coleman  Guards,  commanded  by 
Captain  W.  F.  Gordon,  was  also  organized  just  prior  to  the  war. 
In  1860  great  excitement  was  caused  on  the  arrival  of  Robinson's 
circus  here,  the  charge  having  been  made  that  some  of  the  em- 
ployees or  attaches  had  murdered  a  man  by  the  name  of  Boulware 
at  Port  Royal  the  day  before.  Warrants  were  sworn  out  for  the 
arrest  of  the  supposed  parties,  and  the  three  companies,  with  the 
civil  authorities,  arrested  the  entire  circus  and  had  the  suspected 
parties  before  the  Mayor.  A  two  days'  investigation  disclosed 
no  probable  guilt  and  the  circus  was  discharged  from  custody. 

Another  military  company  was  organized  in  the  town  in  1861, 
known  as  the  Gordon  Rifles,  with  Captain  Robert  H.  Alexander  as 
its  commander.  These  three  companies,  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
war,  were  placed  in  the  Thirtieth  Virginia  regiment  of  infantry, 
that  did  such  noble  service  during  the  Civil  war.  The  Washington 
Guards,  which  became  Company  A,  was  commanded  by  Capt. 
Joseph  W.  Sener.  He  was  succeeded  by  Capt.  George  H.  Peyton 
and  Captain  John  K.  Anderson.  The  Fredericksburg  Grays  be- 
came Company  B  and  was  commanded  by  Capt.  Robert  S.  Chew, 
and,  on  his  promotion  to  Colonel,  by  Capt.  H.  S.  Doggett.  Capt. 
Doggett  was  on  detached  duty  the  most  of  his  official  term  as  cap- 
tain and  the  company  was  commanded  by  Lieutenant  James  S. 
Knox  in  his  absence,  who  was  promoted  to  captain,  but  his  com- 
mission never  reached  him.  The  Gordon  Rifles  became  Company  C 
and  was  commanded  by  Captain  Robert  H.  Alexander  and  after- 
wards by  Captain  C.  Wistar  Wallace. 

After  the  war  the  Fredericksburg  Grays  was  reorganized,  with 
Samuel  S.  Brooke,  now  of  Roanoke,  as  captain.  He  was  succeeded 
in  command  by  Captain  Maurice  B.  Rowe,  and  he  by  the  following 
commanders  in  the  order  named:  Captain  Terence  McCracken, 
Captain  Robert  B.  Berrey,  Captain  George  A.  Walker  and  Captain 
Frank  H.  Revere. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  185 

When  war  was  declared  between  the  United  States  and  Spain, 
and  volunteers  were  called  for  by  the  government,  the  Washington 
Guards,  which  had  been  reorganized  by  Captain  Maurice  B.  Rowe, 
promptly  responded  and  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  ser- 
vice as  Company  K  of  the  Third  Virginia  regiment  of  infantry. 
It  went  into  camp  at  Richmond,  Virginia,  and  was  soon  transferred 
to  Camp  Alger,  named  in  honor  of  the  then  Secretary  of  War,  near 
W^ashington  city.  Before  these  troops  were  ordered  to  the  scene 
of  action  peace  was  declared  and  they  were  ordered  back  to  Rich- 
mond and  mustered  out  of  service,  having  been  in  the  service  of  the 
United  States  seven  months.  The  company  then  returned  to  Fred- 
ericksburg. 

The  Guards  numbered  one  hundred  and  twelve  men  on  the  rolls, 
was  a  splendid  body  of  patriotic  young  men  and  reflected  credit 
upon  the  town.  Soon  after  being  discharged  from  the  United 
States  army  the  company  was  reorganized,  reentered  the  service  of 
the  State  and  now  numbers  sixty-two  men,  under  the  command 
of  Captain  Thomas  M.  Larkin.  They  have  often  been  called  upon 
to  discharge  important  and  delicate  service,  and  have  responded 
with  alacrity. 

In  1883  a  colored  volunteer  company  was  organized  in  town, 
called  the  Garfield  Light  Infantry  Blues.  It  was  organized  by 
Benjamin  Scott,  of  Richmond,  who  was  its  first  captain.  Captain 
Scott  soon  returned  to  his  home  in  Richmond  and  was  succeeded  in 
command  by  Captain  Lucien  G.  Gilmer.  This  organization  con- 
tinued in  existence  several  years,  but  was  finally  disbanded,  having 
fallen  below  the  minimum  number  required  by  law. 

THE  CONFEDERATE  CEMETERY. 

Soon  after  the  citizens  of  Fredericksburg  returned  to  their  deso- 
lated homes  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  war,  and  had  gotten  their 
dwellings  in  a  condition  to  be  occupied,  the  thoughts  of  the  patri- 
otic ladies  were  at  once  turned  to  the  Confederate  soldiers  who  had 
fallen  and  were  buried  in  Fredericksburg  and  on  the  several 
adjacent  battle-fields.  They  were  anxious  that  the  remains  of 
these  brave  men  should  be  gathered  up  and  interred  in  some  place 


186  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

where  their  dust  would  be  preserved  and  the  names  of  the  known 
saved  from  oblivion. 

As  a  result  of  a  consultation,  and  a  call  published  in  the  news- 
papers of  Fredericksburg,  the  ladies  of  the  town  met  in  the  base- 
ment of  the  Presbyterian  church  on  the  10th  day  of  May,  1865,  one 
month  after  the  surrender  of  Gen.  Lee,  and  organized  the  Ladies' 
Memorial  Association  of  Fredericksburg,  elected  officers,  appointed 
a  board  of  directors,  an  executive  committee  and  an  advisory  board. 
This  was  the  first  ladies'  memorial  association  chartered  in  the 
South  and  among  the  first  to  decorate  the  soldiers'  graves  with 
flowers. 

The  best  methods  for  accomplishing  the  patriotic  work  of  the  as- 
sociation were  discussed  and  adopted  at  this  early  date.  The  plan 
was  to  raise  as  much  money  in  town  and  in  Virginia  as  possible 
and  then  issue  an  appeal  to  be  sent  all  through  the  Southern  States 
for  funds,  because  every  Southern  State  was  represented  on  the 
battle-fields  in  and  around  the  town  by  their  heroic  dead.  These 
appeals  were  sent  out  as  soon  as  they  could  be  gotten  ready  and  had 
the  desired  effect.  Funds  soon  began  to  flow  into  the  treasury 
and  a  suitable  site  was  selected,  west  of  and  adjoining  the  city 
cemetery,  which  was  purchased,  and  the  work  of  gathering  up  the 
dead  commenced.  The  number  gotten  from  the  different  battle- 
fields and  buried  in  the  ground  purchased  by  the  association  num- 
bered about  fifteen  hundred.  The  circular  sent  out  had,  in  addi- 
tion to  the  organization  of  the  association  and  the  list  of  officers  in 
full,  an  appeal,  which  was  as  follows : 

"To  all  true  hearted  women  and  men,  who  would  rescue  from 
oblivion  the  memory  of  the  brave,  who  died  in  defence  of  home  and 
country,  we  present  this  appeal:  The  stern  pressure  of  military 
necessity  made  it  impossible,  properly,  to  care  for  the  remains  of  the 
gallant  dead  who  fell  on  the  bloody  fields  of  Fredericksburg,  Wild- 
erness, Chancellorsville,  Spotsylvania  Courthouse  and  in  scores  of 
skirmishes  which,  in  a  war  less  terrible,  would  have  been  reckoned 
as  battles. 

"Our  Association  proposes  to  preserve  a  record,  and,  as  far  as 
possible,  mark  the  spot  where  every  Confederate  soldier  is  buried  in 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  187 

this  vicinity,  whether  he  fell  on  these  memorable  fields  or  other- 
wise died  in  the  service.  To  the  bereaved,  throughout  our  suffering 
South  we  pledge  ourselves  to  spare  no  exertion  to  accomplish  this 
work. 

"In  a  land  stripped  of  enclosures  and  forests,  desolated  and  im- 
poverished as  ours,  we  cannot,  without  aid,  guard  these  graves 
from  exposure  and  possible  desecration;  we  can  only  cover  them 
with  our  native  soil.  And,  with  pious  care,  garland  them  with  the 
wild  flowers  from  the  fields.  But,  with  the  generous  aid  and  cor- 
dial cooperation  of  those  who  have  suffered  less,  but  who  feel  as 
deeply  as  we  do  on  this  subject,  we  confidently  hope  to  accomplish 
far  more — to  purchase  and  adorn  a  cemetery,  to  remove  thither  the 
sacred  dust  scattered  all  over  this  region,  and  to  erect  some  endur- 
ing tribute  to  the  memory  of  our  gallant  dead. 

"Shall  that  noble  army  of  martyrs,  who,  for  years  of  toil  and 
suffering,  bore,  in  triumph,  the  'Conquered  Banner*  from  Chatta- 
nooga to  Gettysburg,  sleep  on  the  fields  of  their  fame  unnoticed 
and  unknown  ?  Shall  their  names-  pass  from  the  knowledge  of  the 
living  to  be  treasured  only  in  the  mind  of  Him  'to  whom  the 
memory  of  the  just  is  precious  V 

"What  spot  so  appropriate  for  the  last  resting  place  of  these 
heroes,  as  some  commanding  eminence  overlooking  the  memorable 
plain  of  Fredericksburg?  And  what  nobler  work  for  the  hearts 
and  hands  of  Southern  women,  than  upon  its  summit  to  rear  a 
monument  to  the  unrecorded  Confederate  dead,  which,  through  all 
time  shall  testify  to  the  gratitude  of  the  people  for  whom  they  so 
gloriously  died?  As  no  State,  and  scarcely  a  town  or  county 
throughout  the  limits  of  the  late  Confederacy,  is  unrepresented  on 
these  battle-fields,  may  we  not  hope  that  the  cooperation  required 
in  order  to  accomplish  our  holy  work  will  be  as  universal  ? 

"An  act  of  the  Legislature  of  Virginia  will  be  obtained,  incor- 
porating our  Association,  so  that  the  property  may  be  held  perpetu- 
ally dedicated  to  its  sacred  uses.  We  solicit  such  contributions 
as  the  appreciative  sympathy  of  friends  in  all  parts  of  our  country, 
and  of  the  world,  will  extend  us.  As  soon  as  sufficient  means  are 
obtained  our  Association  will  proceed  to  purchase  and  improve 


188  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

grounds  appropriate  for  a  cemetery,  and  remove  thither  the  remains 
of  the  honored  dead. 

"Our  Association,  although  its  organization  is  but  recent,  has 
been  enabled  to  rescue  from  oblivion  the  names  and  places  of  bur- 
ial of  many  of  the  noble  dead,  who  fell  upon  the  fields  of  Freder- 
icksburg, Chancellorsville,  the  Wilderness,  and  all  the  objects  of  the 
Association  will  be  pressed  as  rapidly  forward  as  the  requisite 
means  are  procured.  All  auxiliary  societies,  which  may  be  formed, 
are  requested  to  correspond  with  our  Association ;  and,  should  they 
desire  their  contributions  to  be  specially  appropriated  to  the  graves 
of  any  individuals,  or  of  any  particular  State  or  section,  the  trust 
will  be  sacredly  discharged. 

Mrs.  John  H.  Wallace,  President. 
Miss  Ann  J.  Carter, 

Corresponding  Secretary. 

President — Mrs.  John  H.  Wallace. 

Vice-Presidents — Mrs.  J.  H.  Lacy,  Mrs.  Jane  Ficklin,  Mrs. 
James  W.  Ford,  Mrs.  A.  F.  T.  Fitzhugh,  Mrs.  Fannie  S.  White. 

Board  of  Directors — Miss  Mary  G.  Browne,  Miss  S.  Freaner, 
Mrs.  W.  K.  Howard,*  Mrs.  S.  J.  Jarvis,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Fitzgerald,  Mrs. 
L.  J.  Huffman,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Bradley,  Mrs.  Magruder  Maury,  Mrs. 
Joseph  Alsop,  Mrs.  Monroe  Kelly,  Miss  Ellen  P.  Chew,  Miss 
Lizzie  Braxton. 

Treasurer— Dr.  F.  P.  Wellford. 

Recording  Secretaries — Miss  L.  G.  Wellford,  Mrs.  Lucy  Hern- 
don.* 

Corresponding  Secretary — Miss  Ann  J.  Carter. 

Assistant  Secretaries — Miss  V.  S.  Knox,*  Miss  Mary  Thom, 
Miss  Bettie  L.  Scott,*  Miss  Lizzie  Alsop,  Miss  N.  S.  Wellford,  Miss 
Mary  G.  Browne,  Mrs.  L.  T.  Kearsley,  Miss  Helen  G.  Bealc,  Miss 
Xannie  Taylor,  Miss  Virginia  Goolrick,  Miss  S.  Freaner,  Miss 
Lizzie  Braxton. 

Executive  Committee — Major  J.  H.  Kelly,  Thomas  F.  Knox, 
George  Aler,  J.  W.  Slaughter,  Edwin  Carter,  Joseph  W.  Sener, 
Dr.  L.  B.  Rose. 

•  Yet  living.  i 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  189 

Advisory  Committee — Gen.  D.  H.  Maury,  Gen.  Daniel  Buggies, 
Gen.  C.  L.  Stevenson,  Col.  R.  S.  Chew,  Col.  C.  M.  Braxton,  Col.  W. 
W.  Fontaine,  Major  George  Freaner,  Major  Chas.  S.  Green,* 
Capt.  C.  T.  Goolrick,  Capt.  W.  R.  Mason,*  Eev.  M.  Maury,  Rev.  T. 
W.  Gilmer,  Rev.  Patrick  Donelan,  Rev.  W.  H.  Williams,  Rev.  F. 
C.  Tebbs,  Mayor  M.  Slaughter,  Judge  R.  C.  L.  Moncure,f  A.  A. 
Little,  J.  H.  Kelly,  Judge  R.  H.  Coleman,  John  L.  Marye,  Jr., 
John  E.  Tackett,  D.  H.  Gordon,  W.  P.  Conway,  J.  L.  Stansbury, 
Ab.  P.  Rowe,  James  B.  Sener,  W.  K.  Howard." 

In  response  to  the  appeal  of  the  Association,  liberal  contributions 
were  received  from  all  the  Southern  States,  with  which  the  ground 
was  purchased,  the  present  cemetery  laid  out  and  the  remains  of  all 
the  Confederate  dead,  who  were  killed  and  buried  throughout  this 
community,  gathered  together,  transferred  to  the  cemetery  and  the 
graves  marked  with  cedar  posts.  These  posts  were  removed  a 
few  years  afterwards  and  marble  headstones  took  their  places.  The 
next  work  of  the  Association  was  to  raise  money  for  a  monument 
to  be  placed  in  the  center  of  the  cemetery,  and,  as  in  their  other 
patriotic  work,  the  appeal  was  not  in  vain.  The  necessary  amount 
was  raised  and  the  monument  was  erected  and  dedicated.  Mr. 
Leyburn,  of  Lexington,  Va.,  contractor ;  Mr.  Cassell,  of  Baltimore, 
architect.  The  stone  used  is  gray  granite  and  was  taken  from  the 
farm  of  Mrs.  Mary  Downman,  in  Spotsylvania  county.  The  monu- 
ment contains  inscriptions  as  follows: 

On  the  east  side — S.  Carolina,  Virginia,  N".  Carolina. 

On  the  north  side — Missouri,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Arkansas. 

On  the  west  side — Louisana,  Mississippi,  Texas. 

On  the  south  side — Georgia,  Florida,  Alabama. 

The  monument  stands  on  a  mound  about  five  feet  high,  and  is 
five  feet  and  six  inches  high  without  the  statue.  With  the  statue  it 
is  twenty  feet  in  height.  On  the  west  side,  cut  in  the  granite,  are 
muskets ;  on  the  south  side,  a  castle  with  battlements ;  on  the  north 


*  Yet  living. 

tOne  of  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Appeals  of  Virginia  for  fourteen  years  before  the 
war  ,and  president  of  said  court  for  twelve  years  after  the  war. 


190  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

side,  sabres;  on  the  east  side,  cannon  and  the  inscription  "To  the 
Confederate  Dead."  On  each  corner  of  the  monument  is  a  column 
of  red  granite,  with  gray  granite  plynth  and  base.  The  corner- 
stone was  laid  on  the  4th  of  June,  1874,  by  Fredericksburg  Lodge, 
Xo.  4,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Grand  Master  Wm.  H.  Lambert  presiding, 
and  was  completed  and  unveiled  on  Memorial  Day,  June  9,  1884. 
The  statue  of  a  Confederate  soldier,  at  dress  parade,  which  crowns 
the  apex,  is  of  bronze,  and  was  manufactured  by  the  Monumental 
Bridge  Company,  of  Bridgeport,  Conn.  It  was  ordered  through 
Mr.  George  T.  Downing  and  placed  in  position  by  him. 

THE  NATIONAL  CEMETERY. 

The  Xational  Cemetery,  in  which  were  gathered  and  interred  the 
Union  soldiers  who  died  in  camp  and  were  killed  in  the  various 
battles  in  and  around  Fredericksburg,  was  commenced  in  1865, 
soon  after  the  close  of  the  war.  It  is  located  on  Willis's  Hill,  about 
half  a  mile  south  of  the  town.  It  is  on  the  range  of  hills  known 
in  the  war  histories  and  correspondents  as  Marye's  Heights,  which 
overlooks  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Rappahannock  and  affords  a 
fine  view  of  Fredericksburg  and  the  surrounding  country.  It 
afforded  a  splendid  location  for  the  Confederate  artillery  at  both 
battles  of  Fredericksburg,  which  did  such  fearful  execution  as  the 
Union  troops  were  advancing  on  General  Lee's  position. 

The  remains  of  the  Union  soldiers  were  taken  from  their  tem- 
porary graves  and  conveyed  to  the  cemetery  by  a  "burial  corps," 
consisting  of  a  large  detail  of  Frederal  soldiers  and  a  few  veterans 
employed  by  the  superintendent.  The  work  was  continued  for 
three  or  four  years,  and  it  was  thought  that  all  the  dead  had  been 
cared  for,  but  even  now  remains  of  soldiers  are  sometimes  found  in 
different  places  and  turned  over  to  the  superintendent  for  inter- 
ment. The  Fredericksburg  cemetery  is  not  the  largest  in  area  in 
the  United  States,  but  it  has  a  larger  number  of  interments  in  it 
than  any  other  in  the  country.  Up  to  the  present  time  the  inter- 
ments number  15,294,  of  these  2,496  are  known  and  their  names, 
regiments  and  State  are  registered  in  a  book  in  the  superintendent's 
office,  and  12,798  are  unknown.     The  superintendent  of  the  ceme- 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  191 

tery  is  Major  M.  M.  Jefferys,  and  under  his  management  it  is  kept 
in  good  condition. 

The  superintendent  has  a  "lodge"  or  residence  near  the  cemetery 
gate,  constructed  of  stone.  It  is  made  of  the  stone  taken  from  the 
historical  stone  wall,  behind  which  the  Confederates  were  stationed 
when  they  successfully  resisted  the  many  gallant  charges  of  General 
Hancock's  men  on  the  13th  of  December,  1862.  Several  years  ago 
the  government  constructed  a  Macadamized  road  from  the  railroad 
depot  to  the  cemetery,  making  it  a  pleasant  drive  to  that  "city  of 
the  dead/'  and  it  is  visited  by  numbers  of  persons,  both  citizens 
and  strangers'.  In  1901  Gen.  Daniel  Butterfield  erected  a  beauti- 
ful monument  in  the  cemetery  to  the  valor  of  the  Fifth  Army 
Corps,  which  he  commanded,  at  a  cost  of  $11,000. 

3IATJRY  CAMP  OF  CONFEDERATE  VETERANS. 

The  Confederate  veterans  of  Fredericksburg  and  surrounding 
country  organized  themselves  into  a  camp  in  1883.  It  was  one 
of  the  first  camps  of  the  kind  organized  in  the  State  and  had  quite 
a  large  membership.  It  was  called  Maury  Camp  in  honor  of 
General  Dabney  Herndon  Maury,  a  native  of  Fredericksburg,  who 
rose  to  the  rank  of  major-general  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  dis- 
tinguished himself  as  a  skillful  commander  as  well  as  for  conspic- 
uous gallantry  on  many  fields  of  battle  during  the  Civil  war. 

Maury  Camp  nourished  for  several  years,  having  at  one  time  in 
the  neighborhood  of  one  hundred  and  fifty  members.  At  first  it 
was  independent  and  separate  from  any  other  camp,  but  upon  the 
organization  of  R.  E.  Lee  Camp,  of  Richmond,  which  obtained 
a  charter  from  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  thereby  giving 
it  authority  over  other  camps,  Maury  Camp  obtained  a  charter 
from  that  organization,  and  holds  its  authority  under  that  charter 
at  present. 

For  some  cause  in  late  years  the  camp  has  not  been  prosperous ; 
on  the  contrary,  it  has  merely  maintained  its  organization.  Many 
of  the  members  withdrew  their  membership  or  allowed  their  names 
to  be  dropped  from  the  rolls,  while  those  who  still  retain  their 
membership,  with  a  few  exceptions,  exhibit  but  little  interest  in  the 


192  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

affairs  of  the  camp.  Notwithstanding  its  decline,  however,  it  has 
done  much  good  in  the  past  in  assisting  needy  Confederate 
veterans,  besides  they  have  relieved  the  necessities  of  the  widows 
and  orphans  of  veterans,  and  have  decently  buried  their  old  com- 
rades who  have  died  in  destitution.  The  camp  has  had  for  com- 
manders at  different  periods  Colonel  Robert  S.  Chew,  Judge  John 
T.  Goolrick,  Capt.  Daniel  M.  Lee,  Thomas  F.  Proctor,  Geo.  Shep- 
herd and  Capt.  S.  J.  Quinn.  At  present  Prof.  A.  B.  Bowering  is 
the  commander  and  the  camp  seems  to  be  taking  on  new  life. 

SONS   OF    CONFEDERATE   VETERANS. 

The  organization  of  Maury  Camp  of  Confederate  Veterans  was 
followed  in  a  few  years  by  the  organization  of  the  Sons  of  Con- 
federate Veterans.  This  camp  came  into  existence  on  the  10th 
day  of  May,  1890.  It  was  organized,  mainly,  if  not  entirely, 
through  the  efforts  of  Mr.  James  A.  Turner,  who  was  its  first  com- 
mander, and,  by  annual  reflections,  without  opposition,  he  was  con- 
tinued until  he  retired  and  Mr.  Wm.  H.  Hurkamp  was  elected  and 
is  commander  at  this  time. 

This  camp  of  the  Sons  of  Confederate  Veterans  was  named  in 
honor  of  Colonel  Robert  S.  Chew,  who  was,  at  the  close  of  the  war, 
Colonel  of  the  Thirtieth  Virginia  regiment  of  infantry,  a  native  of 
Fredericksburg  and  was  honored  and  beloved  by  all  who  knew  him. 
The  camp  has  done  a  noble  work  in  the  way  of  looking  after  the 
comfort  and  supplying  the  needs  of  the  destitute  Confederate 
veterans,  who  are  rapidly  passing  "over  the  river  to  rest  under  the 
shade  of  the  trees,"  and  providing  for  them  a  decent  Christian 
burial  when  they  shall  have  "answered  the  last  roll  call." 

As  an  organization  the  R.  S.  Chew  Camp  has  attended  nearly  all 
the  reunions  of  Confederate  veterans  in  the  State,  and  has  taken 
as  much  interest  in  them  as  if  they  had  been  veterans  instead 
of  the  sons  of  veterans.  In  all  of  these  visitations  the  camp,  by 
the  discipline  and  military  bearing  of  its  members,  soon  won  for 
itself  a  position  in  the  front  rank  of  Sons  of  Confederate  Veterans 
in  the  South.  About  thirty  of  its  members  volunteered  in  the 
United  States  army  in  the  War  with  Spain,  some  of  whom  are 


1 

.  f\i  .....  * 

». 

Ll.V%.-*A 

&   -*N 

•*' 

•*l 

'  '«*»**,  PM} 

'Stevens  House,"  on  "Sunken  Road";  the  Confederate  line  of 
battle,  1862  and  1863,  in  front  of  fence.     Gen.  Thos.  R.  R. 
Cobb  killed  where  gate  swings  to  right. 
(See  page  91) 


City  Hall,  in  which  are  Mayor's  Office,  Council  Chamber,  etc.,  and 
where  a  ball  was  given  in  honor  of  Gen.  Lafayette 
on  his  visit  here  in  1824. 
(See  page  14f) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  193 

now  in  the  regular  army,  holding  important  commissions.  The 
camp  has  flourished  from  its  organization,  and  has  now  nearly  one 
hundred  members  on  its  rolls,  who  are  earnest  in  their  work  and 
faithful  to  the  memories  of  their  fathers. 

THE  SCHOOLS  OF   FREDERICKSBURG. 

Fredericksburg,  from  its  earliest  days,  possessed  educational 
advantages,  greatly  in  advance  of  many  larger  towns  of  the 
colonies.  Soon  after  its  establishment  by  the  House  of  Burgesses, 
schools  of  a  high  order  were  established  here  by  the  best  of  educa- 
tors and  it  is  highly  probable  that  the  leading  men  of  the  State — 
those  who  conducted  public  affairs  in  colonial  times,  and  who  were 
the  first  to  oppose  and  resist  British  tyranny  and  who  inaugurated 
and  conducted  the  movement  for  separation  and  independence — 
were  educated  in  those  schools.  And  it  can  be  safely  said  that 
from  that  time  to  the  present  Fredericksburg  has  not  been  without 
schools  that  would  be  creditable  to  any  town. 

In  1796  a  lottery  scheme — which  was  a  popular  method  of  raising 
money  in  those  days  for  such  purposes — was  chartered  by  the 
Legislature  of  the  State  for  the  purpose  of  raising  money  to  erect 
a  school  building  on  what  was  known  as  the  "old  poor-house 
grounds,"  at  present  the  property  of  Alexander  Lang's  estate  near 
Gunnery  Spring.  Whether  or  not  this  scheme  was  successful  is 
not  known,  but  it  is  a  fact  that  a  male  academy  was  established  by 
some  French  refugees,  gentlemen  of  education  and  refinement,  who, 
having  lost  their  fortunes,  adopted  teaching  as  a  means  of  support. 
Many  distinguished  Statesmen  and  jurists,  in  after  years,  were 
educated  at  this  school,  among  them  was  Judge  John  Tayloe 
Lomax,  who,  in  his  old  age,  when  president  of  the  Young  Men's 
Christian  Association  of  Fredericksburg,  referred  to  his  connection 
with  this  school  by  contrasting  the  teaching  of  the  school  of 
French  philosophy  of  that  day  with  the  instruction  of  Christian 
teachers  of  a  later  period,  showing  the  advantages  of  the  latter. 

In  a  letter  from  Dr.  John  Brockenburg  to  Eev.  Philip  Slaughter, 
D.  D.,  in  1846,  about  another  matter,  he  said :  "I  had  been  entered 
as  a  student  at  the  Fredericksburg  Academy,  then  (1790)  in  high 
18 


194  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

repute,  under  the  Rev.  Mr.  Ryan,  an  eminent  classical  scholar 
and  a  graduate  of  Trinity  College,  Dublin."  Dr.  Brockenburg 
finished  his  education  in  this  school,  preparatory  to  entering  a 
liu'dical  college  in  Edinburg,  and  speaks  highly  of  it.* 

It  is  also  claimed  that  Washington,  Madison,  Monroe,  and  others 
who  made  their  mark  as  soldiers,  statesmen,  and  in  the  various 
professions,  were  educated  in  the  schools  of  Fredericksburg. 

The  establishment  of  a  female  college  at  "Federal  Hill,"  in  the 
year  1789,  and  which  was  kept  up  by  different  teachers  for  half  a 
century  or  more,  was  an  important  event  in  the  history  of  the  town, 
and,  in  connection  with  the  male  academy,  gave  to  Fredericksburg 
great  distinction  as  an  educational  center. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1795,  a  fund  was  created  by  the  sale 
of  lands,  which  were  devised  for  the  purpose  by  Mr.  Archibald 
McPherson,  which  fund  was  held  in  trust  by  the  Mayor  and  Com- 
mon Council  of  the  town  for  the  time  being,  and  afterwards,  by 
an  act  of  the  Legislature,  by  six  trustees,  annually  appointed  for 
the  benefit  of  the  Charity  School  of  Fredericksburg.  These  trus- 
tees organized  into  a  board,  the  first  president  being  Major  Ben- 
jamin Day,  who  continued  as  such  to  the  day  of  his  death.  The 
school  was  kept  in  the  brick  building  on  the  north  side  of  Hanover 
street,  just  below  the  Masonic  hall,  now  used  by  Miss  Willie  F. 
Schooler  for  her  Hanover  school.  The  funds  derived  by  the  sale 
of  some  of  the  McPherson  property  were  afterwards  supplemented 
by  a  legacy  from  Mr.  Thomas  Colson  in  1805. 

In  the  back  part  of  the  room  in  which  this  male  charity  school 
was  kept  are  to  be  found  three  tablets  of  marble  let  into  the  brick 
wall,  in  good  preservation,  with  these  inscriptions : 

"In  memory  of  Mr.  Archibald  McPherson.  He  bequeathed  his 
property  to  the  trustees  of  this  town  for  the  education  of  the  poor. 
By  an  act  of  the  Legislature  the  funds  were  transferred  to  this  in- 
stitution as  best  fulfilling  the  testator's  charitable  design.  Died 
A.  D.  1754;  age  49." 

"In  memory  of  Thomas  Colson,  Esq.,  who,  by  his  last  will  and 


*  Slaughter's  Bristol  Parish.  Va.,  2nd  edition. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  195 

testament,  contributed  largely  to  the  permanent  funds  of  this 
school.  His  benevolence  claims  the  gratitude  of  the  poor,  and  the 
respect  of  all.     Died  A.  D.  1805." 

"In  memory  of  Major  Benjamin  Day,  one  of  the  founders  of 
this  institution  and  its  first  president.  This  office  he  filled  for 
twenty-six  years  with  zeal  and  fidelity.  As  an  humble  tribute  to 
his  philanthropic  services  this  simple  monument  is  erected.  Died 
A.  D.  1821 ;  age  69." 

On  Major  Day's  tombstone,  in  the  burial  ground  of  Fredericks- 
burg Masonic  Lodge,  in  reference  to  this  school,  is  found  these 
words:  "The  Male  Charity  School  of  Fredericksburg  is  chiefly 
indebted  to  him  for  its  origin  in  1795,  and  for  its  prosperity  to  his 
unremitted  attention  in  the  principal  management  of  its  concerns, 
over  which  he  presided  until  the  time  of  his  death." 

These  tablets  and  tombstones  furnish  a  history  of  this  school 
that  can  be  had  nowhere  else,  and  their  transcription  here  will,  it 
is  hoped,  enshrine  the  memories  of  these  charitable  men  for  their 
munificence  to  the  poor  of  the  town  in  the  hearts  of  the  present 
generation  and  indelibly  impress  upon  their  minds  the  solemn, 
but  eft  unheeded,  words  of  the  Master,  "ye  have  the  poor  with  you 
always,  and  whensoever  ye  will  ye  may  do  them  good."  Mr.  George 
W.  Rothrock  conducted  this  male  school  as  teacher  for  many  years, 
but  upon  his  death,  before  the  Civil  war,  it  was  closed  and  has 
never  been  resumed. 

A  reference  to  other  schools  of  Fredericksburg,  some  contem- 
porary with  the  Male  Charity  School  and  the  Federal  Hill  Female 
College,  and  others  of  a  later  date,  will  no  doubt  be  of  interest  to 
the  numerous  descendants  of  those  who  were  educated  in  them,  and 
will  recall  to  many  of  our  older  citizens  pleasant  memories  of  their 
youthful  days,  as  well  as  the  labor  over  "tare  and  tret,  which  made 
them  mad  and  sweat." 

Among  these  was  the  excellent  female  school  taught  by  Rev. 
Samuel  Wilson,  in  which  many  of  the  most  accomplished  ladies  in 
Fredericksburg  received  their  early  education.  Mr.  Wilson  was 
succeeded  by  Miss  Mary  Ralls,  who  was  assisted  by  Mr.  Herard, 


196  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

whom  she  afterwards  married.*  Mr.  Herard  was  a  Frenchman, 
and  although  he  could  not  speak  English,  taught  writing  and 
French  in  the  school.  Here  commenced  the  education  of  a  large 
number  of  girls  and  boys,  who  were  afterwards  well  known  in  the 
social  circle  and  business  pursuits  of  Fredericksburg  and  of  many 
other  parts  of  the  country,  and  some  of  them  are  to-day  honored 
citizens  of  the  town. 

The  school  kept  by  Mr.  John  Goolrick,  in  the  small,  brick  build- 
ing on  the  lower  end  of  Main  street,  now  occupied  by  Mr.  W. 
Snowden  Hitt,  was  famous  in  its  day,  and  in  that  school  were 
■educated  some  of  our  substantial  business  men  and  accomplished 
women.  He  was  assisted  in  his  school  by  his  son,  George,  who  was 
an  accomplished  teacher  and  cultured  gentleman.  George  Gool- 
rick succeeded  his  father  in  the  conduct  of  the  school  and  continued 
it  for  many  years. 

Mr.  Thomas  H.  Hanson,  who  came  to  Fredericksburg  from 
Georgetown,  D.  C,  was  principal  of  the  Fredericksburg  Male  Acad- 
emy. He  was  a  fine  classical  scholar  and  his  school  enjoyed 
tt  wide-spread  reputation  as  a  classical  school.  He  taught  in  the 
north  wing  of  the  City  Hall,  and  for  several  years  on  Prince 
Edward  street,  above  Amelia,  in  a  brick  building,  where  the  resi- 
dences of  Misses  Hay  and  Misses  Wissner  now  stand.  The  build- 
ing was  torn  down  several  years  ago,  when  residences  were  built. 
Some  few  of  his  pupils  are  now  living.  One  died  a  short  time 
ago,  at  a  ripe  old  age,  with  the  honorary  LL.  D.  attached  to  his 
name. 

Rev.  George  W.  McPhail  conducted  a  school  for  some  years  on 
the  west  side  of  Main  street,  just  above  Commerce.  The  house  was 
a  large,  frame  building,  with  a  store  on  the  ground  floor  and  school- 
room above.  It  was  destroyed  at  the  shelling  of  the  town  in 
December,  1862.  Mr.  McPhail's  first  school-room  was  located  on 
George  street  west  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  but,  it  being  too 
small  to  accommodate  his  pupils,  he  moved  to  Main  street. 


*  It  Is  related  by  the  "old  folks"  that  when  the  ceremony  closed  the  min- 
ister looked  at  the  groom  and  said  "kiss  your  bride."  The  groom,  not  under- 
standing English  and  Imagining  it  was  some  figure  in  the  dance,  innocently 
took  the  bride  by  the  hands  and  merrily  waltzed  up  and  down  the  aisle  to  the 
amusement  of  the  audience,  but  to  the  great  mortification  of  the  bride. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  197 

Messrs.  Powell  and  Morrison,  for  many  years,  conducted  a 
school  for  girls  in  Citizens'  Hall,  which  stood  on  Princess  Ann. 
street  where  the  Catholic  parsonage  now  stands.  It  was  known 
as  the  Fredericksburg  Institute,  and  was  one  of  the  best  schools  of* 
that  day.  It  was  moved  to  Eichmond  and  is  now  conducted  by/ 
members  of  Mr.  Powell's  family. 

Professor  Eichard  Sterling  conducted  a  school  for  boys  in  the  old 
Colonnade  building  on  Princess  Ann  street,  opposite  the  court- 
house, long  before  the  war.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mr.  J.  J.  Halsey. 
The  building  was  partially  destroyed  by  fire  during  the  Civil  war, 
and  finally,  in  1880,  was  removed  to  give  place  to  the  Presbyterian 
Memorial  chapel. 

For  a  number  of  years  a  school  for  girls  was  conducted  by 
Mrs.  John  P.  Little,  first  at  her  residence,  on  Princess  Ann  street, 
and  then  for  some  time  at  Federal  Hill  and  at  the  Union  House, 
which  is  now  used  for  the  public  schools.  She  was  assisted  in  her 
school  by  an  accomplished  French  teacher  by  the  name  of  Guillet. 

More  than  half  a  century  ago  Misses  Ann  and  Mary  Drinnan 
conducted  a  flourishing  school  for  girls  on  Charles  street,  above 
Lewis,  where  the  Misses  Goodwin  now  live,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Hack- 
ley  conducted  a  large  boarding  school  over  the  store  now  occupied! 
by  Mr.  Thomas  N.  Brent.  For  several  years  before  the  war  Eev. 
Wm.  F.  Broaddus,  D.  D.,  taught  a  school  for  young  ladies  in  the- 
basement  of  the  Baptist  church.  These  schools  were  all  of  a  high- 
order  and  fully  sustained  the  reputation  of  Fredericksburg  as  a 
town  possessing  the  most  enlarged  educational  advantages.  Be- 
sides the  schools  above  referred  to,  schools  for  boys  were  taught  by 
Eichard  Stern,  Mr.  Hudson,  Mr.  Jamison,  Stephen  A.  Boardman, 
James  G.  Eead,  Edward  Henry,  Mr.  Tchudi,  Buckner  &  Henry, 
Buckner  &  Temple,  Chas.  E.  Tackett,  Thomas  Moncure,  H.  W. 
Ehinehart,  Mrs.  Judith  Anstice,  Mrs.  A.  L.  Magrath,  Maria  Wood- 
ruff, Miss  Willie  Schooler  and  others. 

After  the  war  Judge  Eichard  H.  Coleman  taught  a  high  school 
for  boys  at  Kenmore,  and  Colonel  W.  Winston  Fontaine  taught  a 
high  school  for  girls  on  the  south  corner  of  Main  and  Frederick 
streets,   and   Professor  Volley   M.   Johnson   conducted   a   similar- 


198  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

school  at  the  Union  House.  When  Judge  Coleman  moved  his 
school  to  Guiney's  in  Caroline  county,  Messrs.  Cuthbert  Buckner 
and  Charles  W.  Temple  opened  a  school  of  the  same  grade.  They 
were  succeeded  by  Messrs.  Cuthbert  Buckner  and  Win.  Caruthers, 
and  they  by  Messrs.  Charles  E.  Tackett,  James  W.  Ford  and  Wm. 
B.  Marye,  who  added  a  military  feature  to  the  school,  which  made 
it  quite  popular.  These  schools  were  located  on  Prince  Edward 
street  in  a  one-story  brick  house,  known  as  the  Academy,  where 
the  Misses  Hay  have  recently  erected  a  modern  residence. 

After  Colonel  Fontaine  moved  South  a  high  school  for  young 
ladies  was  opened  by  Mr.  Wm.  Caruthers  in  the  Presbyterian  Asy- 
lum, known  now  as  Smithsonia,  assisted  by  his  sisters,  Mrs.  Dans 
and  Miss  Caruthers.  He  was  succeeded  by  Mrs.  Wm.  A.  Campbell 
and  daughter,  two  excellent  teachers,  but  the  school  did  not  appear 
to  prosper  and  was  finally  closed.  In  addition  to  these  schools  of 
high  grade  there  were  many  excellent  primary  schools  for  girls  and 
boys,  which  succeeded  well  until  the  public  free  schools  were  opened, 
which  became  popular  because  of  their  graded  system  and  the 
thoroughness  of  their  instruction.  Since  then  most  of  the  private 
schools  have  been  abandoned,  yet  some  few  are  yet  conducted  and 
are  doing  well. 

THE  ASSEMBLY'S  HOME  AND  SCHOOL. 

The  Assembly's  Home  and  School  was  founded  by  Rev.  A.  P. 
SaUnders,  D.  D.,  then  pastor  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Fred- 
ericksburg, in  1893.  It  was  incorporated  by  an  act  of  the  Vir- 
ginia Legislature  December  16,  1893.  It  consisted  originally  of 
a  home  designed  for  the  maintenance  and  education  of  the  orphans 
of  deceased  Presbyterian  ministers  and  missionaries,  and  also  of 
a  college.  The  latter  was  intended  as  a  place  for  the  education  of 
these  orphans  and  also  for  the  youth  of  other  denominations. 

The  General  Assembly  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  each  year, 
•commended  the  institution  to  the  confidence  of  the  churches  within 
its  bounds,  and  by  their  contributions  the  Home  was  maintained. 
The  college  for  some  time  was  supported  partly  by  contributions 
from  the  churches,  but  more  largely  by  the  pay  students  attending 
the  school  from  home  and  abroad. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  199 

In  the  year  1897  the  General  Assembly  of  the  church  separated 
the  college  from  the  Home  and  ordered  the  sale  of  the  college  and 
all  the  property  belonging  to  it.  The  city  of  Fredericksburg  recog- 
nizing the  value  of  such  an  institution  in  its  midst,  had  subscribed 
ten  thousand  dollars  of  bonds,  the  interest  on  which  was  to  pay  for 
ten  annual  scholarships  in  the  college,  the  scholars  being  selected 
from  the  highest  grade  of  the  public  schools  of  the  town. 

This  arrangement  continued  until  1898,  when  the  college  and 
property  were  sold  and  the  ten  thousand  dollars  of  bonds  were  re- 
turned to  the  city  authorities  and  cancelled.  The  property  was 
purchased  by  Eev.  F.  P.  Ramsay,  who  conducted  the  college  for 
two  years,  the  city  continuing  its  patronage  of  ten  scholarships, 
paying  the  tuition  in  money. 

In  the  year  1900  Mr.  Ramsay  sold  the  college  and  property  to 
Rev.  John  W.  Rosebro,  who  had  just  become  pastor  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church  in  Fredericksburg.  He  is  a  gentleman  of  rare 
ability,  and,  with  his  corps  of  able  assistants,  is  making  the  college 
worthy  of  the  confidence  and  support  of  the  public.  A  bright  and 
prosperous  future  is  predicted  for  the  institution  under  the  man- 
agement of  this  scholarly  gentleman. 

The  Assembly  Home  is  still  in  operation,  supported  by  the  de- 
nomination, and  holds  a  strong  place  in  the  affections  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church.  It  is  now  under  the  management  of  Professor 
Samuel  W.  Somerville. 

THE    PUBLIC    SCHOOLS. 

The  public  schools  were  established  in  Fredericksburg,  under 
what  is  known  as  the  Underwood  Constitution,  in  1870.  For 
several  years  they  were  not  well  patronized,  principally  from  the 
fact  that  the  system  was  not  popular  with  the  people.  When  the 
system  was  first  put  in  operation  in  town  the  schools  were  kept  at 
private  houses,  because  the  city  had  no  public  school  houses  and 
was  then  unable  to  build  them,  and  as  the  appropriations  for  school 
purposes  were  small  the  sessions  were  held  only  for  five  or  six 
months  in  the  year.  The  teachers,  in  a  majority  of  cases,  were 
selected  more  because  of  their  need  of  the  salary  than  because  of 
their  ability  and  fitness  to  teach. 


200  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

In  the  year  1876  the  schools  were  graded,  and  the  funds  received 
from  the  city  and  State  were  largely  supplemented  from  the  Pea- 
body  fund,  which  enabled  the  school  board  to  adopt  a  ten  months' 
session.  By  this  arrangement  the  efficiency  of  the  schools  was 
greatly  promoted ;  they  grew  in  public  favor,  the  citizens  patronized 
them,  and  soon  they  became  so  large  and  popular  the  town  was 
compelled  to  provide  larger  buildings  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
pupils.  To  accommodate  this  large  increase  of  attendance  a  com- 
modious two-story  brick  building  was  erected  on  the  north  corner 
of  Princess  Ann  and  Wolfe  streets  for  the  colored  schools,  suffi- 
ciently large  to  accommodate  four  schools,  and  the  Union  House, 
a  three-story  brick  building  on  the  north  corner  of  Main  and  Lewis 
streets,  was  purchased  for  the  white  schools  and  converted  into  a 
building  capable  of  accommodating  six  schools. 

In  addition  to  the  schools  held  at  the  Union  House  there  are  two 
schools  for  the  first  primary  grades,  one  held  in  the  forenoon  and 
the  other  in  the  afternoon,  under  one  teacher,  and  were  kept  in  the 
south  wing  of  the  courthouse  until  two  years  ago,  when  they  were 
moved  to  the  Union  House  and  other  grades  removed  to  the  court- 
house. The  grammar  grade  of  the  colored  schools  is  taught  at 
Samaritan  Hall,  on  Douglas  street.  These  schools  have  an  efficient 
corps  of  teachers  and  the  instruction  is  as  thorough  as  is  found 
in  any  of  the  schools  of  the  State. 

There  are  ten  grades  in  the  white  schools — seven  in  the  primary 
department  and  three  in  the  grammar  department.  There  are 
six  grades  in  the  colored  schools — five  in  the  primary  department 
and  one  in  the  grammar  department.  The  town  is  divided  into 
two  school  districts,  the  Upper  and  the  Lower,  George  street  being 
the  dividing  line.  There  are  three  trustees  from  each  school  dis- 
trict, the  six  members  constituting  the  school  board  of  the  town. 

There  have  been  four  superintendents  of  schools  since  the  inau- 
guration of  the  free  school  system  in  1870,  who  have  served  in  the 
following  order :  Mr.  John  Howison,  General  Daniel  Ruggles,  Mr. 
Edgar  M.  Crutchfield  and  Mr.  Benjamin  P.  "Willis.  All  of  these 
gentlemen  have  passed  away  except  Mr.  Willis,  who  is  now  serving 
as  superintendent.     The  school  board  has  had  but  four  presidents 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  201 

since  its  organization,  thirty-eight  years  ago,  who  served  in  the  fol- 
lowing order:  John  James  Young,  Captain  Joseph  W.  Sener, 
Wm.  H.  Cunningham  and  Andrew  B.  Bowering.  Only  one  is  now 
living — A.  B.  Bowering,  who  is  serving  at  present. 


CHAPTER  XIV 

The  Churches  of  Fredericksburg. 

If  the  morals  and  correct  lives  of  the  people  of  a  town  are  to  be 
judged  by  the  number  of  churches  within  its  borders,  giving  due 
consideration  to  the  number  of  inhabitants,  the  people  of  Freder- 
icksburg would  be  rated  with  the  best.  One  of  the  first  things  that 
received  the  attention  of  the  founders  of  the  town,  under  the  char- 
ter granted  by  the  House  of  Burgesses  in  1727,  was  the  building 
of  a  house  of  worship  and  its  dedication  to  the  service  of  the  Al- 
mighty, and  since  that  time  Fredericksburg  has  been  blessed  with 
regular  divine  services.  And  as  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  in- 
creased in  numbers,  and  the  little  building  became  too  small  to 
accommodate  all  who  would  wish  to  attend  upon  the  House  of  the 
Lord,  the  authorities  were  not  too  much  engrossed  with  money- 
making  and  money-getting  to  enlarge  the  church  and  provide  for 
the  spiritual  comfort  and  necessities  of  the  increasing  population. 
So  the  church  building  was  enlarged  time  and  again  as  the  growth 
of  the  town  demanded  it. 

Up  to  the  first  of  the  nineteenth  century  the  only  denomination 
holding  regular  services  in  town  was  the  Episcopalians,  as  that  was 
the  only  denomination  that  had  a  house  of  worship,  but  in  the 
early  part  of  that  century  other  denominations  organized  churches 
in  town,  built  houses  of  worship  and  have  continued  to  occupy 
them  to  the  present.  Since  then  Fredericksburg  has  not  been  with- 
out a  sufficient  number  of  churches  for  the  accommodation  of  her 
entire  church-going  population.  There  are  at  present  eleven 
church  buildings  in  town — seven  for  the  whites  and  four  for  the 
colored  people.  The  seating  capacity  of  the  white  church  buildings 
is  about  three  thousand  and  that  of  the  colored  churches  about 
one  thousand  five  hundred,  making  the  total  seating  capacity  of 
the  churches  of  Fredericksburg  about  four  thousand  five  hundred, 
being  ample  accommodation  for  the  church-going  population,  both 
white  and  colored. 

[  202  ] 


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1 
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3 

5 


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History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  203 

st.  geoege's  episcopal  church. 

The  history  of  the  Episcopal  church  in  Fredericksburg  is  of 
peculiar  interest  to  the  people  of  the  town  because  of  its  antiquity 
and  because  of  its  intimate  connection  with  the  history  and  affairs 
of  the  town.  In  the  year  1732,  seven  years  after  the  town  was 
laid  out  and  named,  the  first  church  building  was  erected  in  Fred- 
ericksburg.* It  was  in  St.  George's  parish,  which  embraced  the 
whole  of  Spotsylvania  county,  which  then  contained  all  the  terri- 
tory west,  as  far  as  it  was  or  might  be  settled  by  the  whites.  A 
church  building  had  previously  been  erected  in  the  county,  on  the 
Po  river,  for  the  accommodation  of  the  people  of  the  county.  This 
church  is  said  to  have  been  located  on  the  Catharpin  road,  on  the 
top  of  the  hill  west  of  Mine  run,  on  the  south  side  of  the  road, 
where  the  Yellow  church  was  afterwards  built  by  the  Baptists  and 
which  was  destroyed  some  years  ago.  This  stream  is  not  the  Po, 
but  one  of  its  tributaries  and  may  then  have  been  called  the  Po. 

The  first  pastor  the  Fredericksburg  church  had  after  the  com- 
pletion of  its  building  was  Rev.  Patrick  Henry,  uncle  of  the  great 
orator  and  statesman  of  that  name.  He  served  the  church  for  two 
years,  and  in  1735  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  James  Marye,  f  of  Gooch- 
land county,  who  died  as  rector  of  the  church  in  1769,  having 
served  it  faithfully  for  thirty-four  years.  Rev.  James  Marye  was 
succeeded  in  the  rectorship  by  his  son,  Rev.  James  Marye,  Jr.,  who 
was  rector  for  eleven  years.  From  1780,  when  the  second  James 
Marye  closed  his  labors,  to  1813  the  church  had  many  rectors,  but 
their  stay  was  of  short  duration. 

In  the  year  1787  the  Common  Council,  through  a  committee  of 
its  members,  repaired  and  enlarged  the  church  building  by  adding 
another  wing,  (one  having  been  previously  constructed,  mentioned 
elsewhere,)  which  made  the  building  a  cross  in  shape.  The  cost 
for  this  work  amounted  to  four  hundred  and  six  pounds,  a  part 
of  which  was  raised  by  the  committee  by  an  appeal  to  the  private 
citizens  for  donations,  because  of  the  depleted  condition  of  the  city 
treasury.     In  the  same  year  the  Council  prepared  and  adopted  a 


*  Some  authorities  give  1735  as  the  date  of  the  erection  of  this  church. 
■(•  Great  grandfather  of  Governor  John  L.  Marye 


204  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

petition  to  the  Legislature  of  Virginia,  praying  for  a  division  of 
St,  George's  parish  and  for  vesting  "the  property  of  the  old  church 
and  the  new  burying  ground  in  Fredericksburg  in  the  corporation 
of  said  town." 

Mr.  James  Monroe,*  who  was  a  member  of  the  Council  and  a 
vestryman  of  St.  George's  church,  (who  was  afterwards  a  member 
of  the  Legislature,  a  Eepresentative  in  Congress,  a  United  States 
Senator,  twice  Governor  of  Virginia,  twice  Minister  to  France, 
twice  Minister  to  England,  Minister  to  Spain,  Secretary  of  State, 
Secretary  of  "War,  two  terms  President  of  the  United  States,  Pre- 
siding Justice  of  Loudoun  county  and  Visitor  of  the  University  of 
Virginia,)  was  appointed  chairman  of  the  committee  to  present  the 
petition  and  secure  the  desired  action  of  the  Legislature.  If  any 
report  was  ever  made  by  Mr.  Monroe,  neither  it  nor  any  reference 
to  it  can  be  found.  It  is  quite  likely  that  the  law  separating 
church  and  State,  which  was  passed  that  year,  made  it  unnecessary. 

As  has  been  stated,  that  after  the  death  of  the  youngef  Marve,  for 
more  than  thirty  years  the  pastorates  of  the  church  were  short  and 
unsatisfactory.  The  cause  for  this  state  of  things  has  not  been 
recorded  and  conjecture  is  needless.  In  1813  Edward  C.  McGuire, 
of  Winchester,  Virginia,  came  to  the  church  as  lay  reader,  being 
highly  recommended  by  Rev.  Wm.  Meade  (who  afterwards  became 
bishop  of  the  diocese)  as  a  young  man  of  character  and  piety.  Mr. 
McGuire  was  soon  ordained  and  became  rector  of  the  church,  serv- 
ing it  with  great  acceptance  and  success  to  the  day  of  his  death, 
in  1858,  a  period  of  forty-five  years,  f 

Mr.  McGuire  was  greatly  beloved  by  all  classes  of  persons,  his 
ministerial  labors  were  signally  blessed,  and  the  number  of  com- 
municants was  largely  increased.     From  the  death  of  Mr.  McGuire 


*  It  has  been  claimed,  and  It  is  probably  true,  that  James  Monroe  held  more 
Important  public  positions  in  his  life  than  any  other  one  man,  either  before  or 
since  his  day. 

-j-  A  memorial  tablet  erected  in  St.  George's  church  has  this  inscription : 
"Rev.  Edward  McGuire.  D.  D.,  born  in  Winchester,  Va.,  July  26,  1783.  died 
Oct.  8.  1858.  During  forty-five  years  the  faithful,  beloved  and  highly  blessed 
pastor  of  St.  George's  church,  Fredericksburg.  Amiable  in  character,  prudent  in 
action,  wise  in  counsel,  evangelical  In  doctrine,  experimental  in  preaching,  he 
was  a  pastor  of  great  influence  and  success,  highly  esteemed  for  his  sound 
judgment  and  consistent  conduct  during  a  long  and  useful  life." 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  20T« 

to  the  present  the  church  has  had  several  rectors,  who  did  good  work 
and  who  greatly  endeared  themselves  to  the  congregation  and 
people  of  the  town.  These  pastors  served  in  the  following  order: 
Rev.  A.  M.  Randolph,  D.  D.,  now  bishop  of  the  Southern  Diocese 
of  Virginia;  Rev.  Magruder  Maury,  Rev.  Edward  C.  Murdaugh, 
Rev.  Robert  J.  McBryde,  Rev.  J.  K.  Mason,  Rev.  Wm.  M.  Clarke, 
Rev.  Wm.  D.  Smith  and  Rev.  Dr.  Robert  J.  McBryde,  a  second 
time,  who  is  the  present  rector.  During  a  portion  of  the  time  that 
Dr.  Murdaugh  was  rector  he  had  as  his  assistant  Rev.  Arthur  S. 
Johns,  a  son  of  the  late  Bishop  Johns.  St.  George's  church  has  a 
flourishing  Sunday  school,  of  which  Dr.  M.  C.  Hall  was  superin- 
tendent for  thirty-eight  years,  his  duties  closing  at  his  death.  This 
long  service  as  an  officer  of  St.  George's  church  has  been  exceeded 
only  by  one  rector,  Rev.  Edward  C.  McGuire,  and  one  vestryman 
and  senior  warden,  Reuben  T.  Thom,  Esq.* 

There  have  been  three  buildings  erected  on  the  ground  where  the 
present  house  of  worship  stands.  The  first  one  was  built  in  1732, 
and  was  an  oblong,  frame  building.  As  the  inhabitants  of  the  town 
increased  an  addition  was  built  on  one  side,  and  in  1787  another 
addition  was  constructed,  rendered  necessary  by  a  further  increase 
of  the  population  and  larger  congregations.  By  the  year  1814  the 
old  building  seems  to  have  become  so  old  and  dilapidated  that  a 
new  house  was  thought  necessary,  and  therefore  the  old  one,  which 
had  stood  for  over  three-quarters  of  a  century,  was  torn  down  and 
a  new  one  was  erected  in  its  stead.  An  aged  citizen,  some  forty 
years  ago,  describing  this  first  building,  said:  "It  was  cruciform 
in  shape,  with  steeple  and  bell,  capable  of  holding  large  congrega- 
tions. In  each  projection  of  the  cross  there  was  a  small  gallery; 
one  contained  the  organ,  the  others  two  pews  each.  It  was  a  frame 
building,  painted  yellow.  The  pulpit  was  at  one  of  the  angles  of 
the  cross,  highly  elevated,  with  reading  desk,  and  clerk's  desk  in 
front  below.  A  clerk,  in  his  desk,  generally  responded  to  the  min- 
ister in  the  service,  while  the  people  were  silent."  \ 

*  A  memorial  slab  erected  In  St.  George's  church  gives  this  remarkable 
record:  "Reuben  T.  Thom,  born  1782,  died  1868.  He  was  for  52  years  a 
vestryman,  and  for  45  years  senior  warden  of  St.  George's  church.     A  father  In 

■f  From  a   communication  In   an   old   copy  of  the   Fredericksburg  News,   fur- 
Israel  he  was  respected  and  beloved  by  three  generations." 
nlshed  by  Dr.  Horace  B.  Hall. 


206  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

The  second  house  was  made  of  brick,  but,  like  the  former  one, 
was  not  large  enough  to  hold  the  growing  congregation.  The  work 
was  commenced  in  1814,  the  corner  stone  having  been  laid  that 
year,  with  imposing  ceremonies.  It  was  completed  in  the  following 
year,  and  was  reported  to  the  Council  in  181G  by  Bishop  Moore, 
who  stated  to  that  body  that  he  had  consecrated  a  handsome,  brick 
edifice  in  Fredericksburg  and  confirmed  sixty  persons. 

In  the  short  space  of  thirty-three  years  it  was  found  that  this 
new,  brick  house  was  too  small,  and  so,  in  1849,  it  was  removed 
and  the  present  brick  building  was  erected,  which  is  one  of  the 
handsomest  church  edifices  in  the  State,  outside  of  the  large  cities. 
While  this  house  was  in  the  course  of  erection  the  church  wor- 
shipped in  the  old  Methodist  church,  just  back  of  the  park,  which 
was  destroyed  by  fire  about  1852.  The  new  church  was  consecrated 
and  occupied  in  the  Fall  of  1849.  A  few  years  after  its  com- 
pletion it  was  very  much  damaged  by  fire,  but  it  was  at  once  re- 
paired and  restored  to  its  former  beauty. 

TRINITY  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

Trinity  Episcopal  church,  composed  of  members  who  withdrew 
from  St.  George's  church,  and  organized  with  Rev.  Dr.  E.  C.  Mur- 
daugh  as  rector,  worshipped  for  some  time  in  the  courthouse,  and 
afterwards  in  the  Hanover-street  Methodist  church,  which  had  not 
been  used  for  religious  services  since  the  Civil  war.*  With  com- 
mendable zeal  this  new  congregation  went  to  work,  puchased  a  lot 
on  the  south  corner  of  Prince  Edward  and  Hanover  streets  and 
erected  a  handsome  house  of  worship,  which  in  due  time  was  conse- 
crated to  the  service  of  the  Lord.  The  change  for  the  purposes 
for  which  this  ground  was  used  was  indeed  radical;  it  was  from 
theatrical  to  church  purposes.  It  is  said  that  after  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  this  lot  had  on  it  a  large  frame  house,  which  was  at 


*  In  the  occupancy  of  this  building  we  have  this  coincidence :  When  the 
members  of  St.  George's  church  were  building  their  present  house,  in  1840,  they 
occupied  the  Methodist  church,  back  of  the  park,  which  had  been  vacated  for 
the  new  house  on  Hanover  street.  More  than  thirty  years  afterwards,  when 
Trinity  Episcopal  church  was  organized,  they  occupied  the  Methodist  church  on 
Hanover  street,  the  Methodists  having  moved  to  their  new  house  on  George 
street. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  207 

first  intended  for  an  extensive  stable,  but  was  converted  into  a  hall 
for  theatrical  purposes.  Theatrical  companies  visiting  town  would 
sometimes  remain  for  a  week  exhibiting  every  night  to  large  au- 
diences of  the  elite  of  the  town. 

The  first  rector  of  Trinity  church  was  Dr.  Edward  C.  Murdaugh, 
who  was  succeeded  by  Eev.  J.  Green  Shackelford,  Eev.  John  S. 
Gibson,  Eev.  J.  S.  Gray,  Eev.  Edwin  Green,  Eev.  W.  L.  Eeaney 
and  Dr.  H.  H.  Barber,  who  is  now  serving  the  church.  Some  few 
years  ago  the  congregation  erected  a  beautiful  and  commodious 
rectory  near  the  church  building,  which  adds  much  to  the  comfort 
and  convenience  of  the  pastor. 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH. 

The  Presbyterian  church  in  Fredericksburg  was  constituted  in 
the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century.  In  the  year  1806  Eev. 
Samuel  B.  Wilson,*  a  young  minister  of  that  denomination,  came 
to  town.  At  that  time  there  were  but  two  Presbyterians  in  the 
place.  As  St.  George's  church,  which  had  the  only  house  of  worship 
in  town,  was  without  a  pastor,  Mr.  Wilson  was  invited  to  preach  in 
that  church.  This  invitation  was  gladly  accepted,  and  for  some  time 
he  preached  in  St.  George's  church,  large  congregations  attending 
the  services.  In  a  few  years  Mr.  Wilson  succeeded  in  getting  to- 
gether a  sufficient  number  of  Presbyterians  to  organize  a  church, 
and  a  house  of  worship  was  erected  in  1810  on  the  lot  where  tbe 
asylum  (at  present  known  as  Smithsonia)  now  stands  on  Amelia 
street. 

This  house  was  occupied  until  the  present  brick  building  on 
George  street  was  erected,  which  was  in  1833,  and  was  dedicated 
on  the  26th  of  July  of  that  year.  The  old  church  on  Amelia 
street  stood  back  several  yards  from  the  sidewalk  and  was  ap- 
proached through  a  gate,  near  which  the  bell  was  suspended  on  a 
cross-beam  erected  on  two  uprights.  In  the  gallery  of  the  church, 
where  the  choir  was  seated,  a  large  brass  ball  was  arranged  on  the 


*  In  the  Presbyterian  church  a  marble  tablet  is  erected  with  this  inscription  : 
"Samuel  B.  Wilson,  first  pastor;  born  March  17,  1783:  died  Aug.  1.  1869. 
They  that  be  wise  shall  shine  as  the  firmament,  and  they  that  turn  many  to 
righteousness  as  the  stars  forever  and  ever." 


208  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

principle  of  a  metronome,  which  marked  the  time  for  the  singers. 
Some  years  after  the  house  on  George  street  was  built  a  comfortable 
manse  was  erected  on  the  same  street,  near  the  church,  for  the 
pastor. 

In  1880  the  "Memorial  Chapel"  was  erected  just  in  rear  of  the 
present  church  building,  fronting  on  Princess  Ann  street  and 
neatly  fitted  out  by  Mr.  Seth  B.  French,  a  Fredericksburg  man, 
then  residing  in  New  York  city,  as  a  memorial  to  his  daughter 
Margaretta,  who  died  just  as  she  was  entering  into  womanhood; 
upon  the  death  of  his  wife,  a  few  years  afterwards,  who  was  the 
daughter  of  Judge  John  M.  Herndon,  he  placed  a  very  beautiful  and 
costly  window  in  the  east  end  of  the  building  as  a  memorial  of  her. 
This  house  is  built  of  granite,  quarried  on  the  old  Landram  farm, 
two  miles  west  of  Fredericksburg,  and  is  of  a  superior  quality. 
The  Presbyterian  house  of  worship,  like  other  houses  of  worship  in 
town,  was  dismantled  during  the  Wilderness  campaign  in  1864 
and  used  by  the  Federal  authorities  as  a  hospital.  After  the  war 
the  Presbyterians  had  no  bell  and  their  church  had  been  sacked  by 
Federal  soldiers. 

In  connection  with  this  condition  of  things  an  amusing  incident 
occurred,  which  was  related  to  us  by  the  perpetrator  of  the  joke, 
and  which  is  too  good  to  be  lost.  Just  after  the  war,  when  the 
different  church  buildings  had  been  repaired  and  fitted  up  for  oc- 
cupation by  the  respective  congregations,  Mr.  James  McGuire,  a 
prominent  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  met  Mr.  Eeuben 
T.  Thorn,  senior  warden  of  St.  George's  church,  on  the  corner  of 
the  street  near  the  Presbyterian  church,  St.  George's  being  on  the 
diagonal  corner.  They  engaged  in  conversation,  during  which  Mr. 
McGuire  appeared  to  be  very  much  troubled  because  all  the  other 
churches  had  bells  to  call  their  congregations  together  while  the 
Presbyterians  had  none.  Mr.  Thom,  kind  hearted  as  he  was,  sym- 
pathized with  them  very  much  and  undertook  to  console  Mr. 
McGuire.  Seeing  Mr.  Thom  was  very  much  concerned,  and  cast- 
ing his  eyes  up  towards  St.  George's  bell,  just  across  the  street, 
his  countenance  brightening  up  as  if  a  new  idea  had  struck  him, 
queried :     "Well,  Mr.  Thom,  won't  you  let  the  Presbyterians  come 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  209 

to  church  by  St.  George's  bell?"  Mr.  Thorn,  being  anxious  to 
accommodate  the  Presbyterians,  but  feeling  that  he  was  not  au- 
thorized to  decide  the  matter,  replied:  "Eh,  eh,  I  have  no  objec- 
tion myself,  Jimmie,  but,  but  I  will  lay  the  matter  before  the  ves- 
try, and  will  inform  you  of  its  action !" 

Mr.  Wilson  served  the  church  as  pastor  until  1841,  when  he  re- 
signed to  accept  a  professorship  in  the  Union  Theological  Semi- 
nary, then  at  Hampden- Sidney,  in  Prince  Edward  county,  Vir- 
ginia. He  was  succeeded  by  Eev.  George  W.  McPhail,  D.  D.,  and 
Rev.  A.  A.  Hodge,  D.  D.  Eev.  B.  T.  Lacy  supplied  the  pulpit  for 
some  time  prior  to  the  Civil  war,  but  was  never  the  regular  pastor 
of  the  church.  The  church  has  had  the  following  pastors  since  the 
war :  Eev.  Thomas  W.  Gilmer,*  Eev.  James  P.  Smith,  D.  D.,  Eev. 
A.  P.  Saunders,  D.  D.,  Eev.  Benjamin  W.  Mebane,  D.  D.,  Eev. 
John  W.  Eosebro,  D.  D.,  and  Eev.  J.  H.  Henderlite,  who  is  now 
serving  the  church.  Governor  John  L.  Marye  was  a  ruling  elder 
of  this  church  for  more  than  forty-seven  years,  giving  faithful 
and  efficient  service. 

THE   BAPTIST   CHURCH. 

The  Baptists  came  into  notice  as  early  as  the  year  1768,  when 
John  Waller,  Lewis  Craig  and  James  Chiles,  three  zealous  Baptist 
ministers,  were  seized  by  the  sheriff  of  Spotsylvania  county,  car- 
ried before  three  magistrates  in  the  yard  of  the  church  building, 
on  the  charge  of  "preaching  the  gospel  contrary  to  law."  They 
were  ordered  to  jail  in  Fredericksburg,  and,  while  in  jail,  preached 
through  the  iron  gratings  of  the  windows  and  door  to  large 
crowds,  who  assembled  to  see  and  hear  them.f  It  is  said  as  they 
marched  through  the  streets  of  the  town  to  jail,  in  the  custody  of 
the  officers  of  the  law,  followed  by  a  large,  noisy  crowd  jeering  at 
them,  they  sang  that  old  hymn  by  Watts,  to  the  tune  of  Wyndham : 

"Broad  is  the  road  that  leads  to  death. 
And  thousands  walk  together  there; 
But  wisdom  shows  a  narrow  way, 
With  here  and  there  a  traveller." 


*  On  a  memorial  tablet  erected  in  the  church  is  this  inscription  :  "Thomas 
Walker  Gilmer,  pastor,  born  July  25,  1834,  died  April  5,  1869.  I  know  that 
my  Redeemer  llveth." 

f  Historical  sketch  of  Fredericksburg.  1883,  by  Robert  B.  Berrey. 
14 


210  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

And  as  the  sweet,  solemn  notes  fell  upon  the  ears  of  the  curious 
crowd  the  jeering  ceased,  and  before  the  hymn  was  concluded 
many  persons  were  melted  to  tears. 

The  Baptist  church  of  Fredericksburg  was  organized  by  Rev. 
Andrew  Broaddus,  Sr.,  the  great  orator  of  King  and  Queen  county 
and  later  of  Caroline  county,  in  the  year  1804,  who  for  several 
years  was  its  pastor.  In  1810  Rev.  Robert  Baylor  Semple,  in  pre- 
paring his  "History  of  Virginia  Baptists,"  says  of  the  Fredericks- 
burg church :  "They  have  no  resident  pastor,  but  are  supplied  by 
Mr.  A.  Broaddus,  who  attends  them  monthly.  If  there  is  any 
objection  to  Mr.  Broaddus's  ministry  in  this  city  it  is  that  he  is  too 
popular  with  the  irreligious.  It  may  be  said  of  him  as  was  said  of 
Ezekiel :  'Lo !  thou  art  unto  them  as  a  very  lovely  song  of  one  that 
hath  a  pleasant  voice,  and  can  play  well  on  an  instrument ;  for  they 
hear  thy  words,  but  they  do  them  not.'  This  remark  by  no  means 
applies  to  the  church,  for,  although  they  hear  with  much  pleasure, 
they  practise  with  more.     It  is  a  young  and  rising  church." 

The  first  house  of  worship  erected  in  town  by  the  Baptists  was 
a  small,  frame  structure  built  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the 
Richmond,  Fredericksburg  and  Potomac  Railroad  Company  as  a 
depot,  but  before  many  years  had  passed  the  congregation  had  so 
increased  in  size  the  small  building  was  found  to  be  inadequate  and 
a  large,  brick  building  was  erected  on  Water  street,  where  Shiloh, 
church,  old  site,  now  stands,  and  for  thirty  years  or  more  the 
church  worshipped  in  that  building. 

Under  the  preaching  of  able  and  faithful  pastors  the  membership 
rapidly  increased  and  the  congregations  became  larger,  and  by  the 
middle  of  the  century  the  house  on  Water  street  was  found  to  be 
too  small  to  accommodate  the  increasing  attendance.  In  the  year 
1854  the  present  large  and  commodious  brick  building  was  erected 
on  Princess  Ann  street,  mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Rev.  Wm.  F. 
Broaddus,*  the  pastor,  J.  B.  Benwick,  Jr.,  architect,  notwithstand- 


•  A  memorial  slab  In  the  church  Is  thus  Inscribed  :  "In  memory  of  Rev. 
Wm.  P.  Broaddus,  D.  D.,  born  April  30,  1801,  died  Sept.  8,  1876.  The  be- 
loved and  faithful  pastor  of  this  church  1853  to  1862,  through  whose  labors 
and  liberality  this  house  was  built.  'He  was  a  good  man  and  full  of  the  Holy 
Ghost  and  faith,  and  much  people  was  added  to  the  Lord.'  " 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  211 

ing  on  a  tablet  in  the  front  of  the  church  that  work  is  credited 
to  another. 

The  new  house,  with  a  large  addition  to  it  about  twelve  years 
ago,  has  proved  ample  for  the  church  and  congregation  to  the  pres- 
ent. Rev.  Andrew  Broaddus,  the  first  pastor,  was  succeeded 
by  the  following  ministers :  Eev.  Robert  B.  Semple,  Rev.  Carter 
Braxton,  Rev.  Mr.  James,  Rev.  John  Teasdale,  Rev.  John 
M.  Waddey,  Rev.  George  F.  Adams,  Rev.  S.  C.  Smith,  Rev. 
Wm.  F.  Broaddus,  D.  D.,  Rev.  Wm.  H.  Williams,  Rev.  Thomas 
S.  Dunaway,  D.  P.,  Rev.  Jacob  S.  Dill,  D.  D.,  and  Rev.  R.  Aubrey 
Williams,  who  is  now  serving  the  church.  Dr.  Dunaway's  pastorate 
covered  a  period  of  thirty-two  years,  during  which  he  greatly  en- 
deared himself  to  the  church  and  people  of  the  town,  and  was  em- 
inently successful  in  winning  souls  and  building  up  the  church. 
The  Baptist  church  has  a  large  and  nourishing  Sunday  school  con- 
nected with  it  that  has  had  but  four  superintendents  for  sixty-three 
years.  George  W.  Garnett*  was  superintendent  for  thirty  and 
Prof.  A.  B.  Bowering  served  nearly  twenty-three  years,  S.  J.  Quinn 
ten,  and  B.  P.  Willis,  having  just  been  elected,  has  entered  upon 
the  work. 

THE   METHODIST  CHURCH. 

The  Methodists,  who,  for  a  number  of  years,  were  designated  as 
a  society,  held  services  in  Fredericksburg  as  early  as  1786.  For  a 
number  of  years  they  held  meetings  from  house  to  house,  and  were 
very  active  workers.  It  is  not  known  when  the  first  church  or 
society  was  formed,  or  by  whom  it  was  organized,  but  it  is  known 
that  persons  united  with  that  denomination  before  the  dawn  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  and  that  Father  Kobler  commenced  his  minis- 
try here  as  a  local  preacher  in  the  year  1789,  and  continued  his 
labors  as  such  for  over  half  a  century.  Therefore  it  may  be  con- 
cluded that  the  first  organization  of  that  denomination  in  Fred- 
ericksburg held  its  meetings  in  private  houses  for  more  than  thirty 
years. 


•  In  the  basement  of  the  church  is  a  memorial  tablet  inscribed  as  follows : 
"In  memory  of  Deacon  George  W.  Garnett.  the  faithful,  efficient  and  beloved 
Superintendent  of  the  Fredericksburg  Baptist  Sunday  School  for  thirty  con- 
secutive years,  who  died  July  9,  1876,  aged  54  years.  'He  was  a  faithful  man, 
and  feared  God  above  many.'     Erected  by  the  school." 


212  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

The  first  house  of  worship  built  by  the  Methodists  in  town,  that 
we  have  any  record  or  tradition  of,  was  erected  in  1822,  on  the  lot 
Ju  rear  of  Hurkamp  park,  fronting  on  George  street,  and  occupied 
by  Colonel  E.  D.  Cole  as  a  stable  and  lumber  yard.  It  was  then 
outside  of  the  city  limits  and  was  known  as  Liberty  Town.  It  was 
a  small  frame  building  and  was  occupied  until  1841,  when  the  old 
church  on  Hanover  street  was  finished.  The  services  were  then 
held  in  the  new  house  and  the  old  frame  church  building  was 
turned  over  to  the  colored  Methodists,  who  occupied  it  for  some 
time.     It  was  destroyed  by  fire  about  1852. 

Some  years  after  occupying  the  church  building  on  Hanover 
street,  the  question  of  slavery,  which  had  been  so  vigorously  dis- 
cussed by  the  denomination  Xorth  and  South,  was  the  theme  of 
discussion  in  the  church  at  Fredericksburg.  The  feeling  became 
strong  between  the  parties  and  increased  in  intensity  until  it  re- 
sulted in  a  split  in  the  church.  One  division  was  known  as  the 
Northern  Methodist,  as  its  members  opposed  slavery,  while  the 
other  division  was  known  as  the  Southern  Methodist,  its  members 
favoring  slavery.  When  the  difference  became  so  marked  and  the 
feeling  so  bitter,  that  the  parties  could  not  longer  worship  together, 
the  Southern  Methodists  withdrew,  and  held  services  in  the  second 
story  of  the  town  hall  for  some  time.  The  Xorthern  wing  re- 
mained in  the  Hanover  street  house  until  the  beginning  of  the 
Civil  war. 

In  the  year  1852  the  southern  division  of  the  church  erected  a 
handsome  brick  building  on  the  south  corner  of  George  and  Charles 
streets,  where  Mr.  P.  V.  D.  Conway's  residence  now  stands,  in 
which  they  worshipped  until  the  war  came  on,  when  the  sessions  of 
the  church  were  almost  suspended.  Since  the  Civil  war  the  two 
-churches  united  and  occupied  the  George-street  church  until  about 
the  year  1879,  when  the  old  building  on  Hanover  street  was  torn 
down  and  a  house  of  modern  architecture  erected  in  its  place. 
Since  that  time  the  new  church  has  been  occupied  and  the  George- 
street  building  was  sold.  About  fifteen  years  ago  an  addition  was 
built  in  rear  of  the  church  for  the  accommodation  of  the  Sunday 
school.  The  church  also  has  a  parsonage  on  the  same  street,  which 
was  donated  to  it  by  Rev.  John  Kobler. 


"Kenmore,"   Mansion  of  Col.    Fieiding  Lewis,    who    married  Betty 
Washington;  now  residence  of  Councilman  Clarance  R.  Howard. 
(S:>  >  i  aje  loo  ) 


"Union  House,"  where  Gen.  Lafayette  was  entertained  in  1824  by 

his  friend,  Mr.  Ross. 

i  Bee  page  1 44 i 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  213 

In  1843  Eev.  John  Kobler,  widely  known  as  Father  Kobler,  a 
citizen  of  the  town,  a  venerable  local  preacher  of  the  Methodist 
church,  distinguished  for  his  piety  and  ability  and  greatly  beloved 
by  all  who  knew  him,  died  and  was  buried  beneath  the  pulpit  of 
the  Hanover-street  church.  Prior  to  his  death  he  wrote  his  "fare- 
well to  the  world,"  which  he  requested  should  be  read  as  a  part  of 
his  funeral  service,  which  was  done.  The  farewell  is  almost  as 
long  as  a  sermon  and  is  "the  very  perfume  of  piety  and  Christian 
assurance."  1st.  He  bids  farewell  to  the  ministry  of  the  gospel 
and  all  the  ordinances  of  the  church  of  God.  2nd.  He  bids  fare- 
well to  the  church  in  her  militant  state.  3rd.  He  bids  farewell  to 
the  communion  of  saints.  4th.  He  bids  farewell  to  prayer.  5th. 
He  bids  a  final  and  hearty  adieu  to  temptation  and  to  every  species 
of  the  Christian  warfare.  6th  and  lastly.  He  bids  farewell  to  his 
Bible.  This  history  of  him  is  given  on  the  first  page  of  the  pam- 
phlet: "John  Kobler  was  born  29th  of  August,  1768;  joined  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  6th  of  December,  1786;  was  converted 
24th  of  December,  1787;  commenced  his  itinerating  ministry  3rd 
of  October,  1789;  and  died  with  glory  on  his  lips,  July  26th, 
1843." 

Some  ten  or  twelve  years  after  the  death  of  Father  Kobler  his 
devoted  and  saintly  wife  followed  him  to  the  glory  land  and  she 
was  interred  by  the  side  of  her  husband.  When  the  old  building 
was  torn  down  and  the  new  one  erected  the  sacred  dust  of  these  two 
sleeping  saints  was  left  undisturbed,  and  so  under  the  pulpit  of  the 
new  church  their  mortal  remains  still  repose.  The  present  pastor 
of  the  church  is  Eev.  W.  L.  Dolly,  a  faithful  and  zealous  servant  of 
the  Lord. 

THE   CHRISTIAN   CHURCH. 

About  the  year  1832  the  religious  movement,  in  which  Alexander 
Campbell  was  the  leader,  began  in  Fredericksburg.  A  number  of 
citizens,  adopting  the  views  held  by  Mr.  Campbell,  were  organized 
into  a  Christian  or  Disciples  church.  With  commendable  energy 
and  zeal  they  went  to  work,  purchased  a  lot  and  erected  quite  a 
comfortable  church  building  on  Main  street,  between  Amelia  and 
Lewis  streets.     The  church  prospered  until  the  breaking  out  of 


214  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

the  Civil  war,  when,  like  those  of  the  other  churches,  its  members 
were  scattered  and  church  services  were  suspended. 

Several  efforts  have  been  made  since  the  war  to  reorganize  the 
church,  but  they  were  unsuccessful  until  1897,  when  Rev.  Mr. 
Rutledge  preached  here  for  some  days,  got  the  members  together 
and  the  church  was  organized.  The  old  building  has  been  re- 
modelled and  modernized  and  is  now  occupied  by  the  congregation. 
After  the  church  was  reorganized  Rev.  Cephas  Shelburne  was  called 
as  pastor,  and  by  his  energetic  labors  the  membership  was  very 
much  increased.  Mr.  Shelburne  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  F.  S. 
Forrer  and  he  by  Rev.  I.  L.  Chestnutt.  The  church  now  has  no 
pastor. 

st.  mary's  catholic  church. 

The  Roman  Catholics  had  no  church  organization  in  town  until 
the  year  1859.  In  1856  Bishop  McGill  visited  Fredericksburg  and 
preached  a  sermon  of  great  ability  and  spiritual  power,  and  under 
his  influence  a  nucleus  was  formed,  out  of  which  the  church  was 
organized  three  years  afterwards.  The  newly  organized  church 
went  earnestly  to  work  at  once  to  build  a  house  of  worship,  and 
from  amounts  subscribed  by  the  members  and  friends  in  town,  and 
the  assistance  they  received  from  abroad,  a  neat  and  comfortable 
brick  building  was  erected  on  Princess  Ann  street,  between  Char- 
lotte and  Hanover.  A  frame  parsonage  was  purchased  some  years 
afterwards  just  below  the  church  building,  which  was  destroyed  by 
fire  about  the  year  1875,  after  which  the  present  brick  parsonage 
was  erected. 

The  church  at  different  periods  has  been  visited  by  Bishop  Gib- 
bons, now  Cardinal,  and  Bishop  Keene,  by  whom  it  was  greatly 
strengthened.  It  has  had  for  pastors  since  its  organization  Rev. 
Fathers  Hagan,  Donnelson,  O'Farrell,  Sears,  Brady,  Becker,  Tier- 
nan,  Donahoe,  Wilson,  Kennefick,  Demunych  and  Coleman.  Rev. 
Father  Perrig  is  pastor  at  this  time. 

THE    COLORED   BAPTIST    CHURCHES. 

In  1854,  when  the  white  Baptists  occupied  their  new  house  of 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  215 

worship  on  Princess  Ann  street,  they  turned  over  to  the  colored 
Baptists  their  old  house  on  Water  street.  Prior  to  that  the  white 
and  colored  members  worshipped  together  in  the  same  building. 
Separated  to  themselves,  but  under  the  care  of  the  white  Baptist 
church,  the  colored  people  had  Rev.  George  Rowe  to  preach  for 
them,  which  he  continued  to  do,  with  success,  until  the  Civil  war 
came  on. 

After  the  war  closed  the  colored  people,  being  free  to  act  for 
themselves,  formed  separate  churches  and  selected  pastors  of  their 
own  color.  The  colored  Baptists  of  the  town  formed  a  church, 
under  the  name  of  Shiloh,  and  called  Eev.  George  L.  Dixon  to  the 
pastorate.  His  pastoral  care  of  the  church  continued  for  several 
years,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  L.  G.  Walden  and  he  by  Rev. 
Willis  M.  Robinson. 

In  1887  the  church  building  collapsed  and  a  division  of  senti- 
ment arose  among  the  members  as  to  where  they  should  rebuild, 
which  resulted  in  a  division  of  the  church  and  congregation  and 
the  erection  of  another  church  building.  A  majority  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church  wanted  to  rebuild  on  the  old  site,  but  a  large 
minority  preferred  to  sell  the  old  site  and  build  on  Princess  Ann 
street,  near  the  railroad  depot.  The  contention  was  sharp,  the  feel- 
ing was  intense,  satisfactory  terms  of  separation  could  not  be  agreed 
upon,  and  finally  the  controversy  was  carried  into  the  circuit  court. 

Judge  Wm.  S.  Barton,  who  was  judge  of  the  circuit  court, 
advised  a  compromise,  which  was  accepted  by  the  parties,  and  a 
division  of  the  church  and  property  was  the  result.  But  then 
another  perplexing  question  arose  that  promised  to  give  trouble. 
Both  parties  strenuously  contended  for  the  old  name,  Shiloh,  and 
no  other  name  it  appeared  would  satisfy  either  division.  The 
wishes  of  both  parties,  however,  were  happily  met  when  some  one 
suggested  that  the  Water-street  party  should  be  known  as  Shiloh 
Old  Site  and  the  Princess  Ann  party  as  Shiloh  New  Site.  This 
proposition  was  agreed  to,  the  separation  took  place  peaceably  and 
both  parties  proceeded  to  build  substantial  and  commodious  brick 
houses,  which  are  a  credit  to  the  colored  people  of  the  town. 

Rev.  Willis  Robinson,  who  was  pastor  of  the  old  church  Shiloh, 


216  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

went  with  Shiloh  New  Site  and  became  its  pastor.  Shiloh  Old 
Site  extended  a  call  to  Rev.  James  E.  Brown  to  become  its  pastor, 
which  he  accepted,  and  served  the  church  for  several  years.  For 
some  time  after  the  old  church  building  became  unsafe  for  occu- 
pancy the  colored  people  worshipped  in  the  courthouse. 

In  the  year  1879  several  members  withdrew  from  old  Shiloh 
church  and  organized  under  the  name  of  the  Second  Baptist  church. 
They  erected  a  small,  but  neat,  frame  church  building  on  Win- 
chester street,  near  Amelia,  and  asked  for  the  ordination  of  Albert 
Ray,  whom  they  had  selected  as  pastor.  A  few  months  later  he  was 
duly  ordained,  entered  upon  the  pastorate  of  the  church  and  con- 
tinued as  such  until  disabled  by  rheumatism  in  1902. 

Rev.  Albert  Ray's  church  was  sold  a  few  years  ago  and  went  into 
possession  of  a  new  religious  sect.  The  pastor  is  Rev.  Roland  Bur- 
gess and  the  sect  is  known  as  "The  Church  of  God  and  the  Saints 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  The  church  has  made  but  little  pro- 
gress up  to  this  time. 

In  1903  Shiloh  New  Site  had  a  split  on  the  question  of  pastor, 
when  a  large  number  of  the  membership  withdrew  and  erected  a 
frame  building  on  Wolfe  street,  called  Rev.  Willis  M.  Robinson 
as  their  pastor,  which  organization  is  known  as  Robinson's  church. 

At  present  Shiloh  Old  Site  has  for  its  pastor  Rev.  John  A.  Brown 
and  Shiloh  New  Site  has  Rev.  W.  L.  Ransom.  Both  churches 
are  in  a  thriving  condition,  with  large  Sunday  schools,  and  both 
pastors  are  educated  and  fully  qualified  to  lead  and  instruct  their 
race. 


CHAPTEK  XV 

Charitable  and  Benevolent  Societies — The  Mary  Washington  Hos- 
pital— Newspapers  and  Periodicals — Political  Excitement — 
Strong  Resolutions  Condemning  the  Administration  of  John 
Adams — An  Address  Approving  the  President's  Foreign 
Policy — The  Names  of  Those  who  Signed  the  Address,  &c. 

Next  in  importance  to  the  churches  in  a  community,  dedicated 
to  the  service  of  God,  come  the  charitable  and  benevolent  societies 
and  institutions.  The  former  show  the  state  of  religion  among 
the  people,  or  their  relations  to  their  Maker,  while  the  latter  is  an 
evidence  of  that  fraternal  feeling  existing  from  one  to  another 
which  binds  all  the  members  in  one  common  cause  for  humanity. 
And  as  Fredericksburg  is  not  wanting  in  her  church  privileges  and 
accommodations,  so  she  is  not  deficient  in  the  number  of  her  charit- 
able and  benevolent  societies.  The  oldest  of  these  societies  is  the 
Masonic  institution. 

Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4,  Ancient,  Free  and  Accepted 
Masons,  was  organized  on  the  first  day  of  September,  1752.  Under 
what  authority  it  was  organized  is  not  positively  known,  and  there- 
fore three  authorities  are  suggested.  The  first  source  of  authority 
claimed  is  that  of  Thomas  Oxnard,  Grand  Master  of  St.  John's 
Lodge,  of  Massachusetts  and  "Provincial  Grand  Master  of  all  of 
North  America."  A  second  claim  is  made  that  the  Masons  in  the 
community  organized  themselves  into  a  lodge  and  continued  as  a 
self-constituted  body  until  a  charter  was  obtained  from  Scotland. 
This  could  hardly  have  been  true.  The  third  claim  is,  and  it  is 
believed  by  the  best  authorities  to  be  the  original  source  of  au- 
thority, that  a  dispensation  wa3  obtained  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of 
Scotland,  and  this  was  the  authority  by  which  the  lodge  was  held 
until  it  was  regularly  chartered  by  said  Grand  Lodge.  The 
lodge  held  its  meetings  under  the  authority  of  this  dispensation 
for  six  years,  and  made  Masons,  among  others,  of  George  Washing- 
ton,   George    Weedon,    Hugh    Mercer,    Wm.    Woodford,    Thomas 

[  217  ] 


218  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Posey,  Gustavus  B.  Wallace,  all  of  whom  became  general  officers 
and  did  distinguished  service  in  the  Revolutionary  war. 

In  the  year  1758  Daniel  Campbell,  for  several  years  master 
of  the  lodge,  visited  Scotland,  and,  at  the  request  of  the  lodge, 
applied  for  and  obtained  a  charter  for  the  lodge  from  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  Scotland,  which  was  dated  July  21,  1758,  and  desig- 
nated the  organization  "The  Lodge  at  Fredericks-Burg,"  Vir- 
ginia. Possessed  with  this  charter  the  lodge  concluded  it  had 
the  authority  to  charter  other  lodges,  and  exercised  that  authority 
in  chartering  one  at  Falmouth,  Va.,  and  one  at  Gloucester  Court- 
house, Va.  The  latter  soon  obtained  a  charter  from  England  and 
the  former  from  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia.  In  1775  the  Fred- 
ericksburg Lodge  united  with  four  other  lodges  in  the  State  and 
organized  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  and  received  a  charter 
from  that  Grand  Body,  dated  January  30,  1787,  under  the  name 
and  title  of  Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4.  The  lodge  is  holding 
its  authority  now  under  the  Virginia  Grand  Lodge  charter,  but 
still  has  in  its  possession  the  old  Scotch  charter,  which  is  well  pre- 
served. The  original  dispensation  has  disappeared  and  was  prob- 
ably lost  more  than  a  century  ago. 

In  the  years  1798  and  1799  the  town  was  the  seat  of  frequent 
and  heated  political  discussions,  and  the  strong,  not  to  say  bitter, 
feeling  was  shared  in  by  the  entire  population  of  the  town.  It 
was  during  this  excitement,  and  because  of  the  bad  feeling  it 
engendered,  a  number  of  members  of  No.  4  Lodge  withdrew  their 
membership  and  organized  Fredericksburg  American  Lodge,  for 
which  a  dispensation  was  granted  in  1799  by  Gov.  Robert  Brooke, 
the  Grand  Master  of  Masons  in  Virginia.  In  the  following  year 
the  lodge  was  chartered  and  given  the  number  63.  It  continued 
to  flourish  until  the  breaking  out  of  the  Civil  war,  when  it  sus- 
pended its  meetings  and  finally  became  extinct. 

In  the  bombardment  and  subsequent  sacking  of  Fredericksburg 
on  the  11th,  12th,  13th,  14th  and  15th  of  December,  1862,  by  strag- 
gling Federal  soldiers,  all  of  the  records  of  the  Masonic  Lodge  were 
destroyed  or  carried  away  except  those  from  1752  to  1771,  which 
were  taken  to  Danville,  Va.,  and  preserved  by  Wm.  Ware,  Esq.,  a 
member  of  the  lodge. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  219 

When  No.  4  Lodge  first  organized  its  meetings  were  held  in  the 
market  house,  or  town  hall,  then  on  Main  street  near  Market 
alley,  but  in  1756  the  time  for  holding  the  meetings  was  changed 
to  "the  day  before  Spotsylvania  county  court,"  which  was  then 
held  at  Germanna,  on  the  Eapidan  river,  and  the  place  of  meeting 
was  fixed  at  Charles  Julien's,  who  lived  between  Fredericksburg 
and  Germanna.  The  lodge  continued  there  for  about  six  years, 
when  it  was  moved  back  to  the  market  house  to  "stay  for  all  time  to 
come,"  and  continued  there  from  1762  to  1813,  when  the  building 
was  torn  down  preparatory  to  the  erection  of  the  present  town  hall 
and  market  house. 

When  it  was  decided  to  remove  the  old  market  house  the  meetings 
of  the  lodge  were  moved  to  the  "Rising  Sun  Tavern,"  the  old  frame 
building  still  standing  on  Main  street  between  Fauquier  and 
Hawke  streets.  In  the  year  1815  the  present  Masonic  hall  was 
completed,  which  stands  on  the  corner  of  Princess  Ann  and  Han- 
over streets.  The  Fredericksburg  Masonic  Lodge  has,  at  various 
periods,  embraced  in  its  membership  eminent  men,  including  sol- 
diers, Statesmen,  professional  men  and  private  citizens.  Among 
the  first  two  classes  mentioned — soldiers  and  Statesmen — was  the 
father  of  his  country,  George  Washington,  who,  in  this  historic 
lodge,  received  the  first  degree  in  Masonry  on  November  4,  1752, 
the  second  degree  on  March  3,  1753,  and  the  third  degree  on  August 
4,  1753,  and  continued  his  membership  in  the  lodge  to  the  day  of 
his  death.  The  Bible  used  in  these  interesting  ceremonies  is  now 
in  possession  of  the  lodge  in  a  fine  state  of  preservation.  It  was 
printed  by  John  Field,  at  Cambridge,  in  the  year  1668.  It  is 
believed  that  John  Paul  Jones,  the  father  of  our  infant  navy,  was 
also  a  member  of  this  lodge. 

By  an  order  of  the  lodge,  and  by  funds  to  the  amount  of  five 
thousand  dollars,  raised  by  its  exertions,  a  very  beautiful  and  faith- 
ful statue  of  Washington,  in  Masonic  regalia,  was  wrought  out  of 
white  marble  by  the  great  Virginia  artist,  Hiram  Powers,  while  he 
was  in  Rome,  Italy.  It  was  safely  transported  to  Fredericksburg, 
but  before  it  could  be  erected  the  war  came  on.  For  safe  keeping 
it  was  sent  to  Richmond,  and  there  perished  in  the  terrible  conflag- 


220  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

ration  of  April  3,  1865.  Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4,  has  fur- 
nished six  grand  masters  to  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Virginia,  as  fol- 
lows: Judge  James  Mercer,  in  1784;  Governor  Robert  Brooke, 
in  1785;  Major  Benjamin  Day,  from  1797  to  1800;  Hon.  Oscar 
M.  Crutchfield,  in  1841 ;  Judge  Beverly  R.  Wellford,  Jr.,  in  1877, 
and  Capt.  S.  J.  Quinn,  in  1907.  Fredericksburg  American  Lodge, 
No.  63,  furnished  Hon.  John  S.  Caldwell,  in  1856. 

In  1873  Fredericksburg  Royal  Arch  Chapter,  No.  23,  was  or- 
ganized. This  chapter  took  the  place  of  Fitzwilson  Chapter,  that 
flourished  in  town  some  years  before  the  Civil  war,  although  it  did 
not  take  the  old  name  or  number. 

In  the  year  1875  Fredericksburg  Commandery,  No.  1,  of  Knights 
Templar,  was  instituted,  and  has  continued  to  flourish  to  the  pres- 
ent. Some  years  ago  the  various  bodies  of  the  Scottish  Rite  branch 
of  Masonry  to  the  thirty-second  degree,  were  organized  in  town  of 
the  Cerneau  division,  but  as  the  question  of  legitimacy  was  raised 
as  to  that  rite  these  organizations  were  abandoned.  The  three 
Masonic  bodies,  however,  that  are  now  in  operation  are  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition  and  can  confer  all  the  degrees  in  ancient  York 
Masonry. 

On  the  22nd  of  December,  1753,  a  "Royal  Arch  Lodge"  was  held 
in  connection  with  the  Fredericksburg  Lodge,  Simon  Fraser,  act- 
ing Grand  Master.  On  that  occasion  the  Royal  Arch  degree  was 
conferred  on  Daniel  Campbell,  Robert  Halkerson  and  Alexander 
Wodrow.  The  proceedings  of  this  meeting  were  recorded  in  the 
record  book  of  the  lodge  and  are  preserved  to  this  day ;  and,  strange 
as  it  may  appear,  the  fact  is  well  established  and  admitted  by  the 
Masonic  historians  of  England  that  this  is  the  oldest  record,  by  nine 
years,  of  conferring  this  degree  that  has  yet  been  discovered  in 
any  country.  The  next  oldest  record  is  found  in  York,  England, 
which  was  made  in  1762. 

ODD    FELLOWS    LODGE. 

The  first  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  organized  in  Fredericksburg  was 
in  the  year  1839,  and  was  known  as  Rappahannock  Lodge,  No.  14. 
It  continued  a  working  lodge  only  about  three  years.     The  last 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  221 

report  it  made  to  the  Grand  Lodge  showed  a  membership  of  thirty- 
nine.  Its  suspension  seems  to  have  been  brought  about  by  some 
unruly,  if  not  unworthy,  members  who  had  brought  strife  and 
discord  into  the  lodge.  In  the  year  1847,  on  the  petition  of  five 
members  of  the  old  lodge — Wm.  Baily,  Win.  Smith,  George  Waite, 
Wm.  T.  Lowery  and  A.  B.  Adams — a  charter  was  granted  for  in- 
stituting Myrtle  Lodge,  No.  50,  and  which  has  continued  in  active 
operation  to  the  present.  It  has  a  large  membership,  composed  of 
our  best  citizens.  The  charter  of  this  lodge  was  signed  by  Major 
J.  Harrison  Kelly,  who  then  lived  in  Charlestown,  now  "West  Vir- 
ginia, and  who  was  Grand  Master  of  the  State.  In  after  years  he 
became  a  citizen  of  Fredericksburg  and  ended  his  days  in  this  town. 
The  meetings  of  the  lodge  were  at  first  held  at  private  houses, 
and  at  cne  time  in  Haydon's  Hall,  on  Charlotte  street,  in  rear  of 
Wheeler's  livery  stable.  After  the  Civil  war  the  meetings  were  held 
in  the  room  immediately  under  the  Masonic  lodge-room,  and  con- 
tinued there  until  about  1892,  when  the  Odd  Fellows,  in  connection 
with  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  erected  the  splendid  hall  on  Main 
street,  where  they  held  their  meetings  for  some  years,  but,  believing 
it  to  be  to  their  interest  to  dispose  of  their  stock  in  the  new  hall, 
they  did  so  and  moved  the  lodge  to  the  third  story  of  the  Bradford 
Building. 

In  1903  a  second  Odd  Fellows  Lodge  was  organized  under  a 
charter  from  the  Grand  Lodge,  known  as  Acorn  Lodge,  No.  261. 
Although  young,  this  lodge  has  grown  with  great  rapidity  and  has 
a  large  membership.  It  was  organized  in  the  Masonic  lodge-room, 
and  afterward  rented  the  hall  under  the  said  Masonic  lodge,  where 
it  now  holds  its  meetings.  Among  the  membership  of  these  Odd 
Fellows  lodges  may  be  found  many  of  the  most  substantial  and  pro- 
gressive citizens  of  the  town. 

THE   BENEVOLENT   ORDER   OF   ELKS. 

The  Order  of  Elks  now  stands  as  the  youngest  of  the  three  promi- 
nent secret  orders  on  this  continent,  and  since  it  came  into  exis- 
tence, in  1868,  has  shown  one  of  the  most  phenomenal  growths  that 
has  ever  been  recorded  for  a  similar  benevolent  order.     It  has  for 


222  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

its  teaching  Charity,  Justice,  Brotherly  Love  and  Fidelity,  and 
for  its  motto  "The  faults  of  our  brothers  we  write  in  the  sand,  and 
their  virtues  upon  the  tablets  of  love  and  memory."  Five  years 
ago  a  few  progressive  spirits  of  Fredericksburg,  catching  the  inspi- 
ration the  order  of  Elks  taught,  met  and  organized  a  lodge  of  Elks. 
A  lodge  was  organized  on  the  23rd  of  June,  1903,  under  the  name 
Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  875,  Mr.  0.  L.  Harris  being  the  first 
presiding  officer.  The  lodge  now  has  ninety  members,  C.  Ernest 
Layton  being  the  present  exalted  ruler. 

There  are  also  in  Fredericksburg  a  number  of  other  benevolent 
and  charitable  fraternities,  whose  origin  is  of  a  more  recent  date 
than  the  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  Elks,  under  the  various  names 
of  Knights  of  Pythias,  Knights  of  Honor,  Royal  Arcanum,  Senior 
and  Junior  Orders  of  American  Mechanics,  Laboring  Men's  Union, 
Heptasophs,  Maccabees,  Sons  of  Sobriety — a  temperance  order 
which  originated  in  Fredericksburg  and  was  first  organized  as  a 
moderate  drinking  society — Red  Men,  Knights  of  the  Golden 
Horseshoe,  Good  Samaritans  and  others,  all  of  which  are  in  a  flour- 
ishing condition  and  are  doing  a  good  work  in  dispensing  charity, 
in  providing  cheap  life  insurance  and  endeavoring  to  elevate  their 
fellowmen. 

THE   MARY  WASHINGTON   HOSPITAL.* 

The  need  of  a  hospital  in  Fredericksburg  had  long  been  felt,  and 
in  January,  1897,  a  band  of  ladies,  led  by  Mrs.  W.  Seymour  White, 
invited  the  physicians  and  ministers  of  the  city  to  meet  with  them 
and  consider  the  feasibility  of  undertaking  such  a  work.  The 
medical  fraternity  pronounced  it  a  necessity  and  the  ministers 
heartily  concurred. 

The  late  Hon.  W.  Seymour  White,  at  that  time  Mayor  of  the  city, 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  scheme  from  the  beginning  and  drew 
up  a  charter,  constitution  and  by-laws.  The  formal  organization 
was  effected  in  February,  1897,  at  a  large,  general  meeting  held  in 
the  courthouse.  Mrs.  W.  S.  White  was  elected  president;  Miss 
Rebecca  Smith,  vice-president ;  Miss  Bertha  Strasburger,  secretary ; 
Mrs.  C.  W.  Edrington,  treasurer. 


•  Mrs.  V.  M.  F.  prepared  this  article. 


Entrance  to  the  Confederate  Cemetery  at  Fredericksburg. 
(See  page  185) 


Lodge  Room  of   Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4,  A.  F.  &  A.  M. ;  the 
Lodge  that  made  Washington  a  Mason. 
(See  page  217) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  223 

• 

Mrs.  White  served  as  president  for  three  terms,  when  she  resigned 
and  her  place  was  filled  by  Mrs.  Walter  C.  Stearns.  The  present 
officers  are  Mrs.  Judge  John  E.  Mason,  president;  Miss  Virginia 
Knox,  vice-president;  Mrs.  Maurice  Hirsh,  treasurer,  and  Mrs. 
D.  C.  Bowman,  secretary.  There  is  a  board  of  lady  managers  and 
an  advisory  board  of  seven  gentlemen,  of  whom  the  Mayor  of  the 
city  is  always  one.  The  membership  fee  is  one  dollar  per  year  and 
there  is  a  large  number  of  names  on  the  roll. 

Immediately  after  the  organization  of  the  institution  the  city 
was  thoroughly  canvassed  and  both  money  and  furnishings  were 
contributed  generally  by  our  people,  besides  by  a  number  of  persons 
living  at  a  distance.  As  soon  as  the  amount  justified  the  action,  a 
large  and  suitable  building  lot,  situated  on  the  corner  of  Fauquier 
and  Sophia  streets,  was  purchased.  This  lot  has  a  beautiful  river 
view  and  is  directly  opposite  Chatham,  the  old  historic  place, 
famous  both  in  colonial  and  recent  history. 

The  one  inflexible  rule,  laid  down  from  the  beginning  of  the 
work,  was  that  there  should  be  no  debt  incurred,  and  the  work  of 
raising  the  necessary  funds  was  a  tedious  undertaking.  Every  lady 
appealed  to  her  friends,  and  the  amount  thus  collected,  together 
with  that  realized  through  holding  bazaars,  ice  cream  festivals, 
entertainments  and  lectures,  was  carefully  deposited  until  the  sum 
of  fourteen  hundred  dollars  was  accumulated,  which  the  ladies 
thought  sufficient  to  erect  a  small  building. 

The  plan  was  donated  by  Mr.  George  Washington  Smith  and 
proved  acceptable.  The  corner-stone  was  laid  April  14,  1899,  this 
day  being  chosen  to  commemorate  George  Washington's  latest  visit 
to  Fredericksburg  and  his  dying  mother.  The  corner-stone  itself 
is  a  portion  of  the  old  Mary  Washington  monument,  begun  in  1833, 
and  never  completed,  and  was  donated  by  Mr.  John  H.  Myer.  It 
was  laid  with  imposing  Masonic  ceremonies  by  Fredericksburg 
Lodge,  No.  4,  A.  F.  and  A.  M.,  in  which  George  Washington  was 
made  a  Mason,  District  Deputy  Grand  Master  James  P.  Corbin 
presiding,  Rev.  F.  P.  Ramsey,  D.  D.,  of  Fredericksburg  College, 
making  an  impressive  address  on  the  occasion. 

The  hospital  was  completed  the  summer  following,  and  all  the 


224  History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia 

money  in  the  treasury  was  expended.  The  house  faces  the  east 
and  is  a  modest  structure,  with  a  porch  in  front  and  an  extension  on 
the  west  end.  Two  rooms  open  upon  the  entrance  hall,  one  of 
which  is  the  operating  room,  the  other  the  especial  room  for  a 
single  patient.  Back  of  this  is  a  hall,  running  north  and  south, 
beyond  which  is  the  kitchen,  matron's  room,  bath-room  and  store 
rooms;  cellar  beneath  for  wood  and  such  articles  as  can  be  kept 
there.  In  the  extensions  are  respectively  the  two  large,  well-lighted 
and  ventilated  rooms  for  the  men's  and  women's  wards. 

The  capacity  of  the  hospital  is  small,  but  there  is  plenty  of 
room  for  any  additions  which  the  future  may  warrant  being  made. 
With  the  faith  that  characterized  the  movement  from  the  begin- 
ning, the  ladies  met  on  September  25,  1899,  elected  a  matron,  Miss 
Virginia  Aldridge,  and  appointed  Wednesday,  October  4th,  "Dona- 
tion Day."  Their  confidence  was  rewarded  and  donations  poured 
in  from  every  one,  rich  and  poor.  Among  so  many  it  would  be 
invidious  to  mention  names,  but  Mr.  Spencer,  of  Snowden,  a  new 
comer  to  Fredericksburg,  liberally  furnished  the  single  room  with 
every  appliance  for  comfort  in  illness,  and  the  ladies  gratefully 
named  it,  for  him,  the  Spencer  room.  From  the  druggists  came  a 
generous  donation  of  accessories,  and  everything — chairs  and 
china,  beds  and  other  belongings — came  in  abundantly. 

On  Sunday,  October  8th,  the  building  was  formally  dedicated, 
Rev.  W.  D.  Smith,  rector  of  St.  George's  church,  presiding,  all  the 
ministers  having  been  invited  to  participate  in  the  ceremonies, 
which  were  simple,  but  appropriate.  The  first  patient  was  received 
in  December,  and  since  that  time  there  has  been  continued  service 
in  the  hospital.  There  is  no  endowment,  and  it  is  hoped  that, 
seeing  the  work,  some  humanely-disposed  individual  may  be  moved 
to  undertake  this  noble  charity. 

By  heroic  efforts  there  have  been  no  debts  incurred,  the  citizens 
having  so  far  responded  in  every  case  of  need;  yet  there  is  much 
lacking,  both  in  furniture  and  appliances.  Donations  of  every 
kind  are  urgently  desired.  The  physicians  are  most  liberal  in  their 
services  and  attentions  and  their  work  is  to  their  great  honor,  for, 
of  the  several  diffcult  cases  thus  far  operated  upon  each  has  been 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  225 

successful,  and  the  recipient  has  returned  home  sounding  the 
praises  of  the  Mary  Washington  Hospital  and  its  medical  service. 
May  the  good  work  grow  and  prosper.  Since  this  article  was 
written  the  building  has  been  greatly  enlarged  and  improved,  and 
the  hospital  is  regarded  as  a  permanent  institution  with  a  noble 
mission. 

NEWSPAPERS  AND  PERIODICALS. 

The  first  newspaper  established  in  Fredericksburg  was  the  semi- 
weekly  "Virginia  Herald  and  Falmouth  Advertiser,"  in  1786,  by 
Timothy  Green.  It  was  soon  found  that  the  name  was  too  long 
and  was  no  advantage  to  the  paper,  and  in  a  few  months  the  Fal- 
mouth Advertiser  part  of  the  name  was  dropped  and  the  paper  was 
continued  as  the  Virginia  Herald.  Some  years  after  its  establish- 
ment Mr.  Green  associated  with  him  in  the  conduct  of  the  paper 
a  Mr.  Lacy  and  Mr.  James  D.  Harrow,  and  the  firm  name  was 
Green,  Lacy  &  Harrow.  This  firm  was  succeeded  by  Wm.  F.  Gray, 
and  he  by  James  D.  Harrow,  a  practical  printer,  who  conducted 
the  paper  for  many  years,  with  Jesse  White,  afterwards  known  as 
"the  old  practical  printer,"  as  foreman. 

Mr.  Harrow  died  in  1851,  and  the  office,  fixtures  and  good  will 
were  purchased  by  Major  J.  Harrison  Kelly,  who  conducted  the 
Virginia  Herald  successfully  as  a  semi-weekly  until  the  year  1875, 
when  failing  health  compelled  him  to  discontinue  its  publication 
and  it  has  never  been  resumed. 

A  bound  volume  of  this  paper,  running  through  the  years  1796, 
1797  and  1798,  is  now  owned  by  this  writer,  who  prizes  it  very 
highly.  Its  columns  have  furnished  accounts  of  incidents,  dates 
and  gatherings  of  the  people  in  public  meetings,  noted  in  this 
historical  sketch  of  the  town. 

In  the  year  1795  another  paper  was  started  in  Fredericksburg, 
known  as  the  "Genius  of  Liberty  and  Fredericksburg  and  Falmouth 
Advertiser."  This  name  was  even  larger,  longer  and  less  euphoni- 
ous than  the  first  name  of  its  competitor,  the  Virginia  Herald,  and, 
like  its  competitor,  soon  dropped  most  of  it.  This  paper  came  into 
existence  at  a  time  when  party  spirit  ran  high  and  the  political 
blood  was  at  fever  heat.  It  vigorously  espoused  the  cause  of  what 
15 


226  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

was  then  known  as  the  "Strict  Constructionists"  of  the  Federal 
Constitution,  while  the  "Virginia  Herald"  as  vigorously  supported 
the  "Loose  Constructionists." 

The  Genius  of  Liberty  was  conducted  by  Robert  Mercer  and 
George  Carter  as  a  weekly  paper  until  1798,  when  it  was  changed 
to  a  semi-weekly,  at  "twenty  shillings  per  annum,  ten  shillings  to 
be  paid  on  subscribing  and  the  remainder  at  the  end  of  the  year." 
In  1800  the  paper  was  purchased  by  James  Walker,  who  changed 
its  name  to  "The  Courier."  Mr.  Walker  was  both  editor  and  pro- 
prietor, and  under  his  management  it  was  enlarged  to  "nearly  double 
the  size  of  the  Virginia  Herald."  We  have  not  been  able  to  learn 
at  what  period  its  publication  ceased. 

A  volume  of  this  publication,  from  November,  1800,  to  Novem- 
ber, 1801,  substantially  bound,  is  now  in  possession  of  Mrs.  James 
L.  Green,  of  this  place.  It  is  valuable  and  interesting  because  of 
its  hoary  age  and  because  of  the  fact  it  was  published  in  Fredericks- 
burg. 

"The  Fredericksburg  News,"  a  semi-weekly  paper,  was  published 
by  Robert  Baylor  Semple  for  several  years.  At  his  death,  in  1853,  the 
paper  was  purchased  by  A.  Alexander  Little,  who  conducted  it, 
except  during  the  War  Between  the  States,  to  the  time  of  his  death 
in  1877.  When  its  publication  was  resumed  after  the  war,  when  old 
things  had  passed  away  and  many  things  had  become  new,  it  bore 
the  name  of  "The  Fredericksburg  New  Era,"  but  neither  the  times 
nor  the  name  suited  the  editor,  so  he  changed  the  name  back  to  the 
News  and  made  the  best  he  could  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived. 

After  Mr.  Little's  death  the  publication  of  the  News  was  con- 
tinued for  a  few  years  by  his  sister,  Miss  Bella  Little,  who  assisted 
him  very  much  in  the  editorial  management  of  the  paper  during  his 
ownership  of  it,  but  finding  it  unremunerative  its  publication  was 
finally  suspended. 

Several  other  publications  of  a  less  permanent  nature  have  been 
started  and  conducted  in  Fredericksburg,  but  they  were  short  lived 
and  but  little  is  known  of  their  history,  therefore  they  can  be  only 
mentioned  as  having  existed. 

"The  Political  Arena"  was  commenced  in  the  year  1830  by  Wm. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  227 

M.  Blackford  and  lived  for  about  fifteen  years.  In  1845  Mr.. 
Blackford  moved  to  Lynchburg  and  the  publication  of  the  paper 
was  discontinued. 

In  1848  Eev.  James  W.  Hunnicutt  established  the  "Christian 
Banner/'  which  continued  to  exist  until  1862,  when  Mr.  Hunnicutt, 
being  a  Union  man  and  opposed  to  the  Civil  war,  went  North,  and 
it  has  been  stated  that  the  Banner  office  was  destroyed  by  Southern 
soldiers.     This  statement,  however,  is  thought  not  to  be  true. 

"The  Virginia  Baptist"  made  its  appearance  in  Fredericksburg 
about  the  year  1857.  It  was  edited  and  conducted  by  Eev.  W.  E. 
Powell,  Eev.  John  C.  Willis  and  Eev.  Joseph  A.  Billingsly  as  a 
temperance  advocate.  Its  publication  was  suspended  in  1860  and 
never  resumed. 

"The  Democratic  Eecorder,"  established  in  1842,  was  owned  by 
James  M.  Campbell,  but  in  1850  he  removed  to  Manchester,  N.  H., 
and  the  office  was  purchased  and  the  publication  of  the  Eecorder 
was  continued  by  Eobert  B.  Alexander,  S.  Greenhow  Daniel  and 
James  B.  Sener,  in  the  order  named.  Its  publication  was  sus- 
pended during  the  Civil  war,  but  upon  the  return  of  peace  in  1865 
it  was  resumed  by  James  B.  Sener,  the  name  being  changed  to 
"The  Fredericksburg  Ledger."  In  1872  Judge  Sener  was  elected 
to  Congress  and  the  publication  of  the  Ledger  ceased. 

The  office  and  fixtures  were  sold  by  Judge  Sener  in  1873,  and 
for  twelve  or  fifteen  years  it  changed  hands  often  and  several 
publications  were  started,  only  to  cease  after  a  struggle  of  a  year  or 
two.  After  the  publication  of  the  Ledger  was  discontinued  the 
first  paper  sent  out  from  the  office  was  the  "Independent,"  by 
Berry  &  Tierney.  One  year  marked  the  life  of  the  Independent 
and  then  came  the  "Bulletin,"  by  Quinn  &  Tierney;  "The  True 
Standard,"  by  a  joint  stock  company,  and  "The  Eecorder,"  by  the 
Mander  Brothers.  None  of  these  publications  lived  more  than  two 
or  three  years  at  most. 

In  May,  1887,  the  office  was  purchased  by  Col.  John  W.  Woltz 
and  Win.  E.  Bradley,  who  established  the  "Free  Lance,"  which 
they  conducted  until  the  death  of  Col.  Woltz  in  1893,  when  it  was 
soon  purchased  by  a  joint  stock  company  and  its  publication  con- 


228  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

tinued  to  the  present.  Under  its  first  management  the  "Free 
Lance"  was  issued  as  a  semi-weekly,  but  as  its  circulation  increased 
it  was  changed  to  a  tri-weekly,  and  was  the  first  and  only  tri-weekly 
publication  the  town  ever  had.  Another  innovation  the  "Free 
Lance"  made  in  the  newspaper  history  of  Fredericksburg  was  the 
introduction  of  a  power  press.  Prior  to  this  all  the  newspapers 
were  printed  on  Hoe  hand  presses,  but  the  "Free  Lance,"  under 
Woltz  &  Bradley,  boasted  of  a  power  press  of  a  capacity  of  twelve 
hundred  papers  an  hour,  which  was  soon  exchanged  for  one  of  six- 
teen hundred  an  hour.  A  third  innovation  made  by  the  "Free 
Lance"  was  the  purchase  and  use  of  a  folding  machine.  This  was 
a  new  machine  in  town  and  was  observed  by  those  who  had  never 
before  seen  one  with  much  curiosity.  It  can  fold  papers  as  fast  as 
they  are  printed,  and  is  quite  an  improvement  on  the  old  way  of 
hand  folding. 

The  publication  of  the  "Virginia  Star"  was  commenced  in  the 
year  1869  by  Rufus  B.  Merchant  as  a  semi-weekly,  and  was  so  con- 
ducted until  1895.  During  that  year  Mr.  Merchant  added  another 
edition  and  sent  out  the  "Daily  Evening  Star."  This  was  some- 
thing "new  under  the  sun"  in  Fredericksburg,  and  its  advent  and 
probable  success  were  freely  discussed  by  the  public  and  various 
opinions  were  expressed.  The  prevailing  opinion,  however,-  seemed 
to  be  that  its  publication  was  a  mistake  on  the  part  of  the  proprietor 
and  the  scheme  would  end  in  financial  loss.  Others  thought  it 
would  flourish  for  a  short  time  and  receive  support  because  it  was 
a  home  enterprise,  but  that  it  would  eventually  be  crowded  out  by 
the  big  dailies  of  neighboring  cities  and  would  disappear.  But 
such  was  not  the  case.  It  is  yet  making  its  daily  evening  visits, 
improves  as  the  days  go  by,  and  has  evidently  come  to  stay. 

In  1896  the  Star  office,  with  its  entire  outfit,  was  purchased  by 
W.  Seymour  White  and  Alvin  T.  Embrey,  who  continued  to 
publish  both  editions  of  the  paper,  and  upon  the  death  of  Mr. 
White,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1898,  his  interest  was  pur- 
chased by  Mr.  Embrey,  who  became  the  sole  editor  and  proprietor 
of  the  Star.  In  1900  Judge  Embrey  sold  out  to  a  joint  stock 
company,  and  under  its  management  both  editions  of  the  paper 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  229 

made  their  regular  visits  to  the  homes  of  subscribers.  This  paper 
has  been  purchased  by  the  Free  Lance  Company,  which  sends  out 
both  the  Free  Lance  and  Daily  Star. 

On  the  2nd  day  of  January,  1837,  the  first  issue  of  the  "Masonic 
Olive  Branch  and  Literary  Portfolio"  was  published  by  James  D. 
McCabe  and  John  M.  Ball.  It  was  a  semi-monthly  publication,  at 
two  dollars  per  annum  in  advance,  and  was  devoted  principally  to 
Masonry  and  Odd  Fellowship.  A  bound  volume  of  this  publication 
is  now  in  possession  of  Fredericksburg  Masonic  Lodge,  and,  from 
its  typographical  appearance,  one  would  suppose  it  to  have  been 
printed  by  Jesse  White,  the  practical  printer,  on  his  old  Eamage 
hand  press.  By  Mr.  Ball's  retirement  a  few  months  after  the  ap- 
pearance of  the  paper,  Mr.  McCabe  became  the  sole  editor  and 
proprietor.  We  have  no  information  as  to  how  long  the  Portfolio 
was  published. 

In  1868  "The  Little  Gleaner,"  a  thirty-two  page  periodical,  was 
published  by  Miss  L.  Fauntleroy.  It  was  a  monthly  publication, 
devoted  to  general  subjects,  and  intended  especially  to  interest  and 
instruct  the  young  folks.  After  two  years'  labor,  toil  and  sacrifice, 
not  meeting  with  the  success  she  had  hoped  for,  the  proprietress 
discontinued  its  publication. 

In  the  year  1900  a  number  of  the  progressive  business  men  of  the 
town,  feeling  that  Fredericksburg  was  not  moving  along  in  public 
improvements  as  rapidly  as  it  should,  and  that  the  City  Council 
was  too  slow  in  passing  the  necessary  measures  for  such  improve- 
ments, organized  a  joint  stock  company  and  commenced  the  publi- 
cation of  "The  Fredericksburg  Journal."  The  Journal,  different 
from  the  other  papers  of  the  town,  was  at  first  a  weekly  issue,  its 
subscription  price  being  twenty-five  cents  per  annum.  It  has  in- 
formed the  public  in  strong  language  that  it  has  come  to  stay  and 
progress  is  its  watch  word.  In  a  short  time  it  was  sold  to  Mr.  E. 
L.  Biscoe,  when  he  in  turn  sold  it  to  the  Fredericksburg  Journal 
Company,  who  put  more  life  and  vim  into  it,  and  now  its  cus- 
tomers are  served  with  both  a  semi-weekly  and  daily,  which  give 
the  general  news  from  the  surrounding  country  and  stand  for  im- 
provement of  the  town,  honesty  in  city  affairs,  and  justice  to  all 
with  special  favors  to  none. 


230  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

POLITICAL    DIVISIONS. 

Elsewhere  we  have  referred  to  party  divisions  in  Fredericksburg 
about  the  close  of  the  eighteenth  century.  This  division  showed 
itself,  prior  to  the  Revolutionary  war,  because  many  of  the  people 
of  the  town  were  strongly  opposed  to  separation  from  the  mother 
country,  deeming  the  grievances  complained  of  insufficient  for  such 
a  radical  movement.  But  even  the  war  and  its  result  did  not  allay 
the  bitter  feeling.  It  was  still  kept  up  after  peace  was  declared 
on  all  public  questions,  and  became  more  intense,  even  to  boiling 
over  at  times.  This  ebullition  arose  with  the  question  of  the 
adoption  or  rejection  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  and 
after  its  adoption  it  continued  with  increasing  intensity  over  the 
construction  of  that  instrument  and  the  authority  it  conferred  upon 
the  President.  New  fuel  was  added  to  the  flame  when  Congress 
passed  the  act  known  as  the  Alien  and  Sedition  law,  which  con- 
ferred extraordinary  power  on  the  President  in  times  of  peace. 

These  questions  were  the  theme  of  spirited,  and  even  angry,  dis- 
cussions at  all  gatherings  of  the  people  on  court  greens,  market 
places  and  elsewhere,  but  the  climax  of  feeling  was  reached  when 
the  foreign  policy  of  President  John  Adams  was  developed,  espe- 
cially- with  reference  to  our  attitude  towards  Prance.  Mr.  Monroe, 
a  citizen  of  this  town,  who  for  some  time  had  been  our  foreign 
minister  to  France,  had  been  recalled  by  Mr.  Adams  and  another 
more  in  accord  with  the  administration  was  sent  in  his  stead,  and 
it  appeared  that  war  with  our  former  friend  and  ally  could  not  be 
averted. 

Many  of  the  leading  citizens  of  the  town  endorsed  the  policy  of 
the  President,  while  a  decided  majority  strongly  opposed  it.  The 
bitter  feeling  continued  to  increase.  Not  only  was  Fredericksburg 
in  a  state  of  ebullition,  but  such  was  the  case  with  the  people 
throughout  the  entire  country.  Fredericksburg  was  the  first  to 
speak  her  views  publicly,  which  has  always  been  characteristic 
of  her  people  when  questions  affecting  the  public  good  were  to  be 
considered. 

A  public  meeting  of  the  people  was  called  at  the  courthouse  by 
the  friends  of  the  administration  to  consider  and  adopt  an  address 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  231 

to  the  President,  which  was  then  the  prevailing  mode  of  communi- 
cating popular  approval  of  the  conduct  of  high  officials.  The 
meeting  was  extensively  advertised  and  efforts  were  made  to  have  it 
largely  attended.  This  brought  on  a  lively  contest.  The  anti- 
administrationists  of  the  town  determined  to  try  their  strength  with 
their  opponents  by  attending  the  meeting,  vote  down  their  address 
and  'adopt  resolutions  setting  forth  their  views  and  condemning  the 
policy  of  the  administration.  To  accomplish  this  the  town  was 
thoroughly  canvassed  by  them,  which  had  already  been  done  by  the 
other  party,  and  the  courthouse  was  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity. 
The  meeting  was  held  on  the  14th  day  of  May,  1798,  and  the 
"Virginia  Herald,"  the  presidential  organ  of  the  town,  gave  the 
proceedings  in  full,  which  will  show  the  temper  of  the  people  and 
their  defiant  condemnation  of  the  foreign  policy  of  President 
Adams.     The  Herald  said : 

"On  Monday  the  citizens  of  this  corporation  met,  agreeably  to 
notification  published  in  the  public  papers,  to  express  their  senti- 
ments on  the  present  important  and  critical  situation  of  this 
country.  The  meeting  was  called  by  the  friends  of  the  Executive, 
whose  object  was  to  address  the  President  of  the  United  States 
and  to  express  their  entire  approbation  of  his  conduct  with  respect 
to  our  foreign  relations. 

"An  address  to  this  effect  was  prepared  and  presented  by  Thomas 
E.  Eootes,  Esq.,  which  he  supported  by  very  lengthy  arguments. 
He  was  followed  by  Capt.  John  Mercer,  Col.  John  Minor  and  Col. 
John  F.  Mercer,  who  successfully  combatted  the  various  arguments 
adduced  by  Mr.  Eootes  in  support  of  his  address.  And  the  follow- 
ing resolutions  then,  prepared  by  Dr.  David  C.  Ker,  were  approved 
and  adopted.  A  division  was  called  for  on  the  address  and  resolu- 
tions and  tellers  appointed  to  take  the  number  of  votes,  who  re- 
ported that  two-thirds  of  the  citizens  present  were  in  favor  of  the 
resolutions.  The  meeting  was  more  numerous  than  any  we  have 
ever  seen  in  this  place.  During  the  whole  of  the  discussion  the 
most  perfect  order  and  decorum  prevailed." 

The  resolutions,  adopted  in  place  of  the  address,  will  be  interest- 
ing reading  to  our  people,  even  in  this  day.     They  are  as  follows : 


232  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

1.  Resolved,  As  the  opinion  of  this  meeting  that  the  administra- 
tion of  these  States  received  the  government  of  a  happy  and  united 
people,  in  peace  abroad  and  prosperity  at  home;  that  under  their 
guidance,  we  have  been  led,  oppressed  with  public,  heavy  debts, 
enormous  taxes,  a  ruined  commerce  and  depreciated  produce,  into 
hostility  with  a  nation  who  aided  to  secure  our  independence  by 
their  own  blood  and  treasure,  with  a  republic  the  most  powerful 
and  successful  that  has  appeared  on  earth  for  eighteen  centuries, 
armed  with  every  weapon  to  injure  us,  but  whom  we  can  in  no 
wise  injure;  with  a  republic  united  with  a  confederacy  so  extensive 
as  to  separate  us  from  all  the  civilized  world  but  Britain,  and  her 
dependencies;  that  they  have  done  this,  not  through  ignorance  and 
folly  only,  for  they  were  at  all  times  warned  of  the  certain  conse- 
quence of  their  measures;  not  through  constraint,  for  although 
opposed,  they  always  carried  their  measures;  but  men  who  have 
proved  themselves  by  their  own  works,  so  unfit  to  govern  us,  even 
with  every  advantage,  can  never  without  madness  be  trusted  in 
times  of  real  difficulty  and  extreme  danger;  and  that  it  is  equally 
absurd  to  found  confidence  in  our  disasters,  or  to  pursue  that  line, 
or  to  support  those  men  who  have  already  brought  us  to  the  verge 
of  destruction. 

2nd.  Resolved,  That  the  speech  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  to  the  ordinary  session  of  Congress,  was,  in  the  opinion  of 
this  meeting,  calculated  to  rouse  the  resentment  of  the  French  gov- 
ernment and  destroy  any  reasonable  hope  of  successful  negotiations 
between  that  republic  and  agents  appointed  by  him. 

3rd.  Resolved,  That  the  instructions  to  our  envoys,  so  contrary  to 
the  spirit  of  that  speech  and  the  whole  conduct  of  our  administra- 
tion, authorize  this  conclusion: — that  they  were  rather  intended 
to  inflame  the  American  mind  than  to  produce  good  in  France, 
under  the  well  grounded  expectation,  that  the  negotiations  would, 
from  those  and  other  causes,  fail. 

4th.  Resolved,  That  the  late  negotiations  with  unauthorized 
swindlers  in  Paris,  are  so  unexampled  as  to  afford  no  justifiable 
ground  for  public  measures,  and  that  their  publication,  so  far  as 
they  tend  to  excite  the  sensibility  of  our  citizens,  is  unjustifiable, 
as  they  may  commit  the  safety  of  the  envoys  highly  imprudent. 


The  "Charity  School,"  started  by  Benj.  Day  and  others  in  the 
latter  part  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
(See  page  194) 


The   Fire  Department. 
(See  page  144) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  233 

5th.  Kesolved,  That  the  militia  are  the  only  safe  and  constitu- 
tional defence  of  these  States;  that  they  alone  are  adequate  to  this 
object,  and  that  they  will  ever  prove  so,  if  guided  by  good  govern- 
ment. 

6th.  Eesolved,  That  we  hold  it  to  be  our  bounden  duty,  and  we 
do  solemnly  pledge  ourselves,  firmly,  to  support  our  National  rights 
and  independence  whenever  assailed  by  foreign  invasion  or  domestic 
usurpation. 

Fontaine  Maury  was  chairman  of  this  large  gathering  of  the  peo- 
ple and  signed  the  resolutions  adopted  by  the  meeting.  They  were 
then  sent  to  Hon.  John  Dawson,  representative  in  Congress  from 
this  district,  who  laid  them  before  the  extra  session  of  Congress  for 
the  consideration  of  that  body.  These  resolutions,  adopted  on  the 
14th  of  May,  1798,  setting  forth  the  principles  upon  which  their 
authors  believed  the  Union  was  founded,  and  upon  which  the  govern- 
ment should  be  administered,  were  the  basis  for  the  famous  resolu- 
tions drawn  by  Mr.  Madison  and  passed  by  the  Virginia  Legislature 
on  the  2nd  of  December  of  the  same  year,  which  have  since  been  the 
theme  of  Virginia  Statesmen  of  that  school  when  they  would 
"revert  to  first  principles." 

The  address,  which  was  presented  to  the  meeting  and  voted  down 
by  such  a  large  majority,  was  directed  to  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  and  was  as  follows : 

We,  the  subscribers,  inhabitants  of  the  town  and  corporation 
of  Fredericksburg,  in  the  State  of  Virginia,  assembled  at  our  town 
house,  this  14th  day  of  May,  1798,  by  a  public  notice,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  expressing  our  sense  of  the  conduct  of  our  government,  in 
regard  to  its  foreign  relations,  do  communicate  to  you,  as  the  sense 
of  the  subscribers,  that  your  several  attempts  to  restore  that  har- 
mony between  the  United  States  and  the  French  republic,  which 
has  been  so  unfortunately  impaired,  and  to  reinstate  that  good 
understanding  between  the  two  nations  so  desirous  to  the  lovers  of 
peace,  have  been  wise  and  prudent,  and  entitle  you  to  the  highest 
evidence  of  our  esteem;  and  that  whatever  may  be  the  opinion  of 
foreign  nations,  with  respect  to  divisions  among  ourselves,  should 


234  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

it  be  the  misfortune  of  our  country  to  be  involved  in  a  war  with  any 
nation,  you  will  always  find  us  ready  with  our  lives  and  fortunes  to 
support  and  defend  the  Constitution  and  laws  of  our  country. 

After  the  address  had  been  voted  down  as  not  reflecting  the  sen- 
timents of  a  majority  of  the  citizens  of  the  town,  not  to  be  foiled  in 
their  desire  to  let  the  President  know  that  they  approved  his  policy, 
the  friends  of  the  administration  determined  to  make  three  copies 
of  the  address  and  leave  it  at  three  places  in  town  for  the  signatures 
of  those  who  approved  it.  The  three  places  named  were  Wm. 
Taylor's,  George  W.  B.  Spooner's  and  the  Herald  office.  The  fol- 
lowing gentlemen  signed  the  address : 

George  W.  B.  Spooner,  Wm.  Drummond,  Elisha  Hall,  Wm. 
Jones,  Anthony  Buck,  Richard  Richards,  Robert  Patton,  Wm.  Glas- 
sell,  Tho.  Southcomb,  Andrew  Parks,  Tho.  Rootes,  Peter  Gordon, 
Wm.  Taylor,  George  Murray,  James  Pettigrew,  Timothy  Green, 
Wm.  Payne,  James  Carmichael,  Law.  Bowes,  Thos.  Hodge,  George 
French,  Richard  Johnston,  Jr.,  John  Anderson,  John  Coakley, 
Wm.  Fitzhugh,  of  Chatham,  Charles  Croughton,  David  Henderson, 
Roger  Coltart,  David  Blair,  Jeff.  Wright,  Charles  Yates,  Wm. 
Lovell,  Alexander  Duncan,  Wm.  Wilson,  Rob.  Lilly,  Thos.  Cochran, 
James  Stevenson,  John  Brownlow,  Jos.  Thornton,  Benj.  Day,  Wm. 
Wiatt,  Zack.  Mayfield,  John  Newton,  David  Simons,  Philip  Lips- 
comb, Daniel  Grinnan,  James  Vanshell,  Daniel  Stark,  Samuel 
Stevens,  Godlove  Heiskell,  Thos.  P.  Basye,  John  Harris,  Thomas 
Seddon,  Jr.,  Robert  Wellford,  Philip  Glover,  John  Legg,  Edward 
McDermot,  John  Alcock,  Jacob  Grotz,  John  Moore,  Adam  Darby, 
Tho.  Miller,  James  Blair,  Wm.  Hamilton,  R.  Dykes,  David  Wil- 
liamson, Wm.  Acres,  Wm.  Talbot,  James  Ross,  John  Bogan,  Robert 
Walker,  John  Kirck,  Sam.  M.  Douglas,  Wm.  Welsh,  Alexander  S. 
Roe,  John  Dare,  James  Slater,  Charles  Stewart,  Christian  Helm- 
stetter,  Wm.  Smith,  Benj.  Sabastian,  James  Adams. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

Some  Distinguished  Men  Buried  in  Fredericksburg — A  Remarkable 
Grave  Stone — Three  Heroic  Fredericksburg  ers,  Wellford, 
Herndon,  Willis — The  Old  Liberty  Bell  Passes  Through  Town 
— Great  Demonstrations  in  its  Honor — What  a  Chinaman 
Thought  of  it. 

A  town  is  not  less  renowned  for  the  noble,  heroic  dead  who  sleep 
within  its  borders  than  it  is  for  its  gallant  soldiers,  Statesmen  and 
others  who  are  yet  on  the  stage  of  action.  Indeed  its  renown  may 
be  more  enduring  because  of  its  dead  than  of  its  living.  The  deeds 
of  the  dead  are  embalmed  in  our  hearts  and  in  history  and  cannot 
be  tarnished,  obscured  or  obliterated.  The  greatest  deeds  of  the 
living  may  be  obscured  and  even  almost  blotted  from  the  approving 
mind  by  some  adverse,  evil  cloud — by  some  act  of  folly  or  perfidy. 

If  Judas  Iscariot  had  died  before  he  betrayed  his  Master  his  good 
deeds  would  have  lived  forever.  If  a  Britten's  bullet  had  taken  off 
Benedict  Arnold  before  his  treasonable  thoughts  had  resolved  into 
action  he  would  have  been  written  down  in  history  as  one  of  the 
heroes  of  America.  We,  therefore,  with  pride  refer  to  some  distin- 
guished men  who  peacefully  sleep  within  our  corporate  limits. 

ARCHIBALD  m'PHERSOX. 

Archibald  McPherson  was  born  in  1715  in  the  northern  part  of 
England.  He  came  to  this  country  in  early  manhood  and  settled 
in  Spotsylvania  county.  He  is  represented  as  being  a  gentleman 
of  education,  refinement  and  wealth,  and  a  friend  to  the  poor  and 
needy.  He  died  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  leaving  to  the  world  an 
unsullied  name  and  to  the  poor  of  the  town  a  legacy  to  be  expended 
in  the  education  of  their  children,  which  is  elsewhere  mentioned 
in  these  pages. 

Mr.  McPherson  was  interred  in  the  burial  ground  of  St.  George's 
church  and  a  marble  slab  erected  over  his  grave,  which  is  now 
secured  to  the  wall  of  the  Mission  House,  at  the  west  end  of  the 
lot  on  Princess  Ann  street.  On  that  slab  is  the  following  inscrip- 
tion: 

[236  ] 


236  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

"Here  lies  the  body  of  Archibald  McPherson,  born  in  the  county 
of  Murray,  in  North  Britain,  who  died  August  17,  1754,  aged  49 
years.  He  was  judicious,  a  lover  of  learning,  open  hearted,  gener- 
ous and  sincere.  Devout,  without  ostentation ;  disdaining  to  cringe 
to  vice  in  any  station.  Friend  to  good  men,  an  affectionate 
husband. 

A  heap  of  dust  alone  remains  of  thee, 

Tis  all  thou  art,  and  all  the  proud  shall  be. 

"Elizabeth,  his  disconsolate  widow,  as  a  testimony  of  their 
mutual  affection,  erected  this  monument  to  his  memory." 

COL.   JOHN   DANDR1DGE. 

In  the  burial  ground  of  St.  George's  church,  near  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  building,  lies  buried  the  father  of  Martha  Washington, 
which  fact  has  only  some  years  since  been  brought  to  light,  or  if  it 
had  been  before  known,  it  was  by  the  citizens  of  the  past  generation 
of  the  town.  The  reason  it  was  unknown  to  the  present  generation 
is  accounted  for  from  the  fact  that  the  slab  over  the  grave  has  been 
covered  with  dirt  for  more  than  half  a  century,  most  likely  from 
the  erection  of  the  present  church  building,  and  was  discovered  only 
a  few  years  ago.  When  the  grave  was  discovered  the  slab  covering 
it  was  cleaned  off,  and  the  inscription  on  it  was  found  to  read  as 
follows : 

"Here  lies  the  body  of  Col.  John  Dandridge,  of  New  Kent  county, 
who  departed  this  life  the  31st  day  of  August,  1756,  aged  56  years." 

How  he  came  to  be  buried  in  Fredericksburg  is  not  positively 
known.  It  has  been  claimed  by  some  persons  that  he  was  here  on 
a  visit  to  his  daughter  Martha,  who  married  Gen.  Washington, 
and  the  weather  was  so  hot  that  his  body  could  not  be  taken  back 
to  New  Kent  county,  but  that  cannot  be  true  because  he  was  buried 
here  more  than  two  years  before  his  daughter  married  Washington. 

The  most  satisfactory  explanation  of  Col.  Dandridge's  presence 
in  Fredericksburg,  that  we  have  heard  given,  is  that  he  was  attend- 
ing the  celebrated  races  at  Chatham,  held  by  Wm.  Fitzhugh,  which 
drew  to  the  town  people  from  all  sections  of  the  country.     But  be 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  237 

that  as  it  may,  this  Col.  Dandridge  is  beyond  doubt  the  father  of 
Martha  Washington,  unless  there  were  two  gentlemen  by  that  name 
and  bearing  the  same  appellation  residing  in  New  Kent  county  at 
that  time,  which  is  not  probable.  Haydon's  "Virginia  Families" 
says  of  Washington : 

"Married  at  White  House,  New  Kent  county,  Va.,  Jan.  6,  1759, 
Martha  Dandridge,  daughter  of  Col.  John  Dandridge,  of  New 
Kent  county,  and  widow  of  Daniel  Parke  Custis." 

WM.  PAUL JOHN  PAUL  JONES. 

There  also  lie  interred  in  the  burial  ground  of  St.  George's 
church,  with  an  unpretentious  stone  marking  the  place,  the  remains 
of  William  Paul,  a  merchant  of  the  town  and  a  native  of  Scotland, 
who  died  here  in  1773.  In  1770  he  purchased  from  Thomas  and 
Jane  Blanton,  "for  one  hundred  and  twenty  pounds,  an  acre  or  one- 
half  of  the  lot  or  land  lying  and  being  in  the  town  of  Fredericks- 
burg, and  designated  in  the  plot  of  said  town  by  the  number  or 
figures  258,  the  same  being  one-half,  or  south  end  of  said  lot,  and 
purchased  by  the  said  Thomas  Blanton  of  Eoger  Dixon,  Gent,  and 
bound  on  the  main  street,  called  Caroline  street,  and  the  cross 
street,  called  Prussia,  together  with  all  houses,  buildings,  gardens, 
ways,  profits,  hereditraments  and  appurtenances  whatever."  This 
lot  is  designated  on  the  map  of  the  town  to-day  as  258,  and  the 
house  in  which  Wm.  Paul  conducted  his  mercantile  business  is 
the  one  occupied  and  owned  at  present  by  Matthew  J.  Gately. 

Notwithstanding  his  biographers  to  the  contrary,  Wm.  Paul 
made  a  will  in  1772,  in  which  he  appointed  his  friends,  Wm.  Temple- 
man  and  Isaac  Heslop,  his  executors,  which  was  witnessed  by  John 
Atkinson,  Thomas  Holmes  and  B.  Johnston.  The  executors  de- 
clined to  serve  and  the  estate  remained  until  late  in  the  next  year 
without  any  one  being  legally  authorized  to  take  charge  of  it.  In 
November,  1774,  John  Atkinson  qualified,  it  is  supposed  at  the  in- 
stance of  John  Paul,  who  had  arrived  here  to  wind  up  the  estate, 
with  John  Waller,  Jr.,  as  surety,  who  was  afterwards  released  and 
Charles  Yates  became  his  surety. 

This  Wm.  Paul  was  the  brother  of  John  Paul,  who  afterwards 


238  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

became  the  famous  John  Paul  Jones.  It  has  been  asserted  that 
Wm.  Paul  changed  his  name  to  Jones  to  inherit  a  plantation  from 
Wm.  Jones,  either  in  Virginia  or  North  Carolina.  But  this  is 
shown  to  be  a  mistake  from  the  fact  that  Wm.  Paul,  in  1770, 
bought  property  here  as  Wm.  Paul,  made  his  will  in  1772  and 
signed  it  Wm.  Paul,  and  died  in  1773  and  his  tomb  stone  now 
bears  on  it  the  name  of  Win.  Paul.  It  was  further  asserted  that  in 
the  agreement  by  which  the  plantation  was  to  become  the  property 
of  Wm.  Paul,  if  Wm.  Paul  died  without  issue,  the  property  was  to 
go  to  John  Paul  on  the  condition  that  he  would  add  Jones  to  his 
name,  and  that  William  did  die  without  issue  and  the  estate  of 
William  went  to  John.  This  is  also  a  mistake.  William  did  not 
die  intestate,  but  made  a  will  and  gave  his  entire  estate  to  his 
sister,  Mary  Young,  and  her  two  oldest  children. 

One  clause  of  the  will  reads  as  follows :  "It  is  my  will  and  desire 
that  my  lots  and  houses  in  this  town  shall  be  sold  and  converted 
into  money  for  as  much  as  they  will  bring,  that  with  all  my  other 
estate  being  sold,  and  what  of  my  outstanding  debts  that  can  be  col- 
lected, I  give  and  bequeath  to  my  beloved  sister,  Mary  Young,  and 
her  two  oldest  children  in  Abigland,  in  the  parish  of  Kirkbean,  in 
Stewarty  of  Galloway,  Xorth  Briton,  and  their  heirs  forever."  It 
is  not  believed  that  Wm.  Paul  owned  any  property  out  of  town 
from  the  fact  that  the  bond  of  his  administrator  was  only  five  hun- 
dred pounds,  which  was  generally  double  the  amount  of  the  estate. 
His  estate  in  town  consisted  of  his  houses  and  lots,  his  merchandise 
and  accounts  due  him,  which  must  have  been  worth  twelve  or  fif- 
teen hundred  dollars.  Therefore  the  bond  of  $2,500  was  sufficient 
only  for  his  possessions  in  town,  and  no  other  is  alluded  to  or 
mentioned  in  his  will.  It  has  been  held  that  he  owned  property  in 
the  county  of  Spotsylvania,  but  that  arises  from  the  fact  there 
were  others  by  the  name  of  Paul  in  the  county  who  had  property. 
But  this  William  Paul  is  traced  by  the  reference  in  his  will  to  the 
parish  of  Kirkbean,  Galloway,  where  his  sister,  Mary  Young,  and 
brother  John  lived. 

Why  John  Paul  changed  his  name  to  Jones  was  probably  known 
only  to  himself.     Many  writers  have  undertaken  to  explain  it,  but 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  239 

without  success,  and  the  mystery  is  yet  unsolved.  In  1775  John 
Paul  Jones's  name  heads  a  list  of  naval  lieutenants,  and,  because  of 
his  meritorious  services,  he  was  soon  appointed  a  captain,  and 
finally  rose  to  the  rank  of  commodore.  His  daring  exploits  and 
unequal,  but  successful,  contests  soon  won  for  him  the  thanks  of 
the  American  Congress,  as  well  as  the  gratitude  of  the  American 
people,  while  it  carried  terror  and  dismay  to  the  enemies  of  his 
country.  He  greatly  humiliated  England  by  landing  his  fleet  on 
her  shores  during  the  Eevolutionary  war,  a  thing  that  had  not  been 
done  before  for  centuries,  if  ever,  since  it  was  a  nation. 

At  the  close  of  the  war,  in  which  he  had  covered  himself  with 
glory,  he  was  offered  an  important  command  by  the  Empress  of 
Russia  against  the  Turks  in  the  Black  sea,  which  he  accepted  with 
the  stipulation  "that  he  was  never  to  renounce  the  title  of  an 
American  citizen."  He  died  in  Paris  in  1792,  and  was  buried  in 
that  city,  aged  forty-five  years.  General  Washington,  then  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  had  just  commissioned  him  for  an 
important  duty,  but  he  died  before  the  commission  reached  him. 
As  the  many  years  rolled  on,  rounding  up  a  century,  his  body  laid 
in  an  unknown  grave,  notwithstanding  many  efforts  were  made  to 
locate  it.  In  1900  a  body  was  found  believed  to  be  his,  and  there 
was  great  rejoicing  in  this  country  over  the  announcement,  but, 
when  carefully  examined,  it  was  found  to  be  the  remains  of  another 
and  not  those  of  the  great  American  commodore.  But  this  did  not 
discourage  those  who  had  the  matter  in  hand,  and  the  search  con- 
tinued under  the  direction  of  Gen.  Horace  Porter,  the  American 
Ambassador  to  the  Court  of  France,  under  great  difficulties.  On 
the  7th  of  April,  1905,  the  body  was  found  in  a  cemetery  known 
as  Saint  Louis,  which  was  laid  out  in  1720  for  a  burial  place  for 
Protestants,  but  which  had  been  closed  more  than  half  a  century, 
and  buildings  were  constructed  upon  it  at  the  time  of  the  dis- 
covery of  the  body.  The  remains  were  declared  to  be  those  of 
John  Paul  Jones,  after  every  test  had  been  applied  that  could  be, 
and  they  were  accepted  by  our  government  as  those  of  the  great 
naval  hero.  Some  time  was  spent  in  preparing  to  remove  the 
remains  to  this  country,  but  early  in  1906  they  were  placed  upon 


240  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

a  United  States  man  of  war,  escorted  by  vessels  from  England  and 
France,  and  were  landed  at  Annapolis,  where  they  were  reinterred 
in  the  presence  of  thousands  of  people  from  all  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, with  booming  of  cannon  and  every  honor  a  grateful  people 
could  bestow  upon  him. 

GEN-.  LEWIS  LITTLEPAGE. 

Gen.  Lewis  Littlepage,  who  died  and  was  buried  here  in  the 
burying  ground  of  Masonic  Lodge  No.  4,  was  born  in  Hanover 
county,  Virginia,  and  was  one  of  the  most  brilliant  men  the  State 
ever  produced.  His  career  was  short,  but  in  that  short  life  he 
greatly  distinguished  himself  as  a  scholar,  soldier  and  diplomat. 
He  was  the  protege  of  John  Jay  at  the  Court  of  France  in  1782, 
was  wounded  at  the  siege  of  Gibraltar,  was  a  member  of  the  cabinet 
of  the  king  of  Poland,  and  the  King's  chamberlain,  with  the  rank 
of  major-general ;  negotiated  a  treaty  with  the  Empress  of  Russia, 
was  a  secret  and  special  envoy  to  the  Court  of  France  to  form  the 
Grand  Quadruple  Alliance;  was  with  Prince  Potempkin  in  his 
march  through  Tartary  des  Negais;  commanded  a  flotilla  under 
Prince  Xassau  at  his  victory  over  the  fleet  of  Turkey ;  was  sent  on 
an  important  mission  to  Madrid,  in  which  he  was  successful;  re- 
sisted the  Russian  invaders  of  Poland  as  aide-de-camp  to  the  King ; 
signed  the  Confederation  of  Fargowitz;  envoy  to  St.  Petersburg 
to  prevent  the  division  of  Poland,  but  was  stopped  by  the  Russian 
government ;  was  with  Kosciusko  in  his  attempt  to  free  Poland ; 
was  at  the  storming  of  Prague,  and  was  with  King  Stanislaus  when 
he  was  captured  by  the  Russians. 

At  the  death  of  Stanislaus,  Gen.  Littlepage,  becoming  sick  of 
European  politics  and  broils,  and,  with  his  health  shattered  and 
gone,  returned  to  America,  settled  in  Fredericksburg  and  died 
before  he  had  reached  the  age  of  forty  years.  His  grave,  in  the 
western  corner  of  the  Masonic  cemetery,  is  marked  by  a  marble  slab, 
which  has  on  it  this  inscription: 

"Here  lies  the  body  of  Lewis  Littlepage,  who  was  born  in  the 
county  of  Hanover,  in  the  State  of  Virginia,  on  the  19th  day  of 
December,  1762,  and  departed  this  life  in  Fredericksburg,  on  the 


The  Christian  Church. 
(See  pa^e  213) 


The  Trinity  Episcopal  Church. 
(See  page  200) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  241 

19th  of  July,  1802,  aged  39  years  and  7  months.  Honored  for 
many  years  with  the  esteem  and  confidence  of  the  unfortunate 
Stanislaus  Augustus,  King  of  Poland,  he  held  under  that  monarch, 
until  he  lost  his  throne,  the  most  distinguished  offices,  among  which 
was  that  of  Ambassador  to  Eussia.  He  was  by  him  created  the 
Knight  of  St.  Stanislaus,  chamberlain  and  confidential  secretary 
in  his  cabinet,  and  acted  as  his  special  envoy  in  the  most  impor- 
tant occasions  of  talents,  of  military  as  well  as  civil,  he  served  with 
credit  as  an  officer  of  high  rank  in  different  arms.  In  private 
life  he  was  charitable,  generous  and  just,  and  in  the  various  public 
offices  which  he  filled  he  acted  with  uniform  magnanimity,  fidelity 
and  honor." 

CAPT.   WM.  LEWIS  HERNDON". 

Another  hero,  a  native  of  Fredericksburg,  whose  remains  found 
sepulture  in  a  watery  grave  far  out  in  the  ocean's  depths,  is  worthy 
of  mention  in  these  pages.  "Wm.  Lewis  Herndon,  an  American 
naval  officer,  born  October  25,  1813,  drowned  by  the  sinking  of 
the  steamer  Central  America,  September  12,  1857.  He  entered  the 
navy  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  served  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  was 
engaged  three  years  with  his  brother-in-law,  Lieutenant  Maury,  in 
the  National  Observatory,  at  Washington.  In  1851-52  he  explored 
the  Amazon  river  under  the  direction  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment. *  *  *  In  1857  he  was  the  commander  of  the  steamer 
Central  America,  which  left  Havana  for  New  York  on  September 
8th,  having  on  board  474  passengers,  a  crew  of  105  men  and  about 
$2,000,000  of  gold.  On  September  the  11th,  during  a  violent  gale 
from  the  northeast  and  a  heavy  sea,  the  vessel  sprung  a  leak  and 
sunk  on  the  evening  of  September  12th  near  the  outer  edge  of  the 
Gulf  stream,  in  latitude  31  degrees  44  minutes  north.  Only  152 
of  the  persons  on  board  were  saved,  including  the  women  and  chil- 
dren; the  gallant  commander  of  the  steamer  was  seen  standing 
upon  the  wheel  house  at  the  time  of  her  sinking."*  Capt.  Herndon 
was  an  uncle  of  Dr.  Herndon,  who  sacrificed  his  life  at  Fernandina, 
Florida,  elsewhere  mentioned. 


•  Appleton's  Encyclopedia,  Volume  9. 
15 


242  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

JACOB  FRIEZE. 

Another  man  of  note,  remarkable  for  his  physical  endurance 
and  strength  of  constitution,  who  lived  in  Fredericksburg  and 
whose  remains  lie  buried  in  the  City  cemetery,  just  to  the  left  of 
the  old  gate  on  Commerce  street,  was  Jacob  Frieze.  He  died  in 
1869,  just  after  having  passed  the  ninety-first  anniversary  of  his 
birth.  He  was  born  in  France,  and  was  one  of  Napoleon's  soldiers 
from  the  time  his  remarkable  career  commenced  in  Paris  until  it 
ended  so  disastrously  at  Waterloo. 

Much  of  the  soldier  life  of  Mr.  Frieze  was  spent  as  a  member  of 
Napoleon's  "Old  Guard,"  that  "could  die,  but  could  never  sur- 
render," and  he  was  never  so  happy  as  when  telling  of  his  thrilling 
war  experiences  and  narrow  escapes.  He  was  in  the  famous  re- 
treat from  Moscow  and  could  tell  the  most  thrilling  stories  of  the 
hardships  and  sufferings  of  the  French  army.  The  weather  was 
intensely  cold,  sometimes  reaching  twenty-six  degrees  below  zero, 
and,  having  to  fight  cold,  hunger  and  the  Russians,  it  is  not  strange 
that  Napoleon  left  behind  him  over  330,000  French  or  allies,  dead 
or  prisoners.  This  marching,  fighting,  suffering  and  dying  were 
all  fresh  in  the  mind  of  Mr.  Frieze,  who  was  a  participant  and 
eye  witness,  and  he  would  entertain  crowds  who  would  gather 
around  him  for  hours. 

Prior  to  the  Civil  war  there  also  lived  in  Fredericksburg  Mr. 
John  Eubank,  who  was  a  soldier  under  the  Duke  of  Wellington  at 
the  battle  of  Waterloo  and  who  stood  guard  over  Napoleon  on  the 
Island  of  St.  Helena.  Notwithstanding  the  many  years  that  had 
passed  from  their  parting  at  Waterloo  to  their  meeting  again  in 
Fredericksburg,  Mr.  Frieze  and  Mr.  Eubank  had  not  forgotten 
the  sword  and  the  spear  and  had  not  forgotten  to  dislike  each  other. 

It  was  amusing  to  the  bystanders  to  see  these  old  soldiers  meet 
on  the  streets,  as  they  would  invariably  shake  their  fists  at  each 
other  and  grind  their  teeth  and  pass  on  without  uttering  a  word. 

Many  of  the  citizens  of  the  town  still  remember  the  willow 
baskets,  of  variegated  colors,  which  Mr.  Frieze  made  and  peddled 
about  town  for  a  livelihood,  as  long  as  he  was  able  to  appear  on  the 
streets.  Mr.  Eubank  moved  to  Charlottesville,  where  he  died  and 
was  buried  in  that  city. 


History  'of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  243 

A  GRAND-NIECE  OF  WASHINGTON  AND  NAPOLEON. 

The  defeat  of  Napoleon  at  Waterloo  sent  into  exile,  among 
others,  his  grand-nephew,  Prince  Charles  Louis  Napoleon  Achille 
Murat,  a  colonel  in  the  defeated  army,  son  of  the  exiled  King  of 
Naples  and  Charlotte  Bonaparte.  He  settled  in  Tallahassee,  Flor- 
ida. Soon  Col.  Byrd  C.  Willis,  of  Willis  Hill,  moved  to  the  same 
city,  carrying  with  him  his  wife,  Mary,  daughter  of  Col.  Fielding 
Lewis  and  Bettie  Washington,  and  also  his  daughter,  Catherine, 
who  married  a  Mr.  Grey  and  was  left  r  widow  at  sixteen.  She  was 
beautiful,  accomplished,  winsome  and  a  leader  in  society.  She 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  young  prince,  who  laid  siege  to  her 
affections  and  was  victorious.  The  marriage  soon  followed.  By 
this  union  Catherine,  who  was  a  grand-niece  of  Gen.  Washington, 
became  also  a  grand-niece  of  the  great  soldier,  Napoleon  Bona- 
parte. She  was  born  where  the  National  cemetery  now  stands 
and  died  in  Florida  August  6,  1867,  in  the  64th  year  of  her  age_ 

WELLFORD — HERNDON WILLIS. 

In  the  City  cemetery  lie  the  remains  of  Doctor  Francis  Preston 
Wellford.  Dr.  Wellford  was  a  native  of  Fredericksburg,  where  he 
was  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all  who  knew  him  for  his  gentle 
and  kind  disposition,  his  upright  life,  his  abounding  charity  and 
his  deep  piety.  In  1871  he  left  his  native  town  and  settled  in 
Jacksonville,  Florida,  where  he  commenced  the  practice  of  medicine 
and  established  a  high  reputation  as  a  skillful  physician.  His 
brethren  of  the  profession  were  not  slow  in  recognizing  his  ability 
and  great  worth,  and  made  him  president  of  the  Medical  Associa- 
tion of  the  State.  He  was  holding  that  honorable  position  when 
the  yellow  fever  scourge  visited  Fernandina,  in  1877,  which  almost 
depopulated  the  town.  For  weeks  it  raged  in  the  doomed  city, 
and  all  of  the  physicians  were  either  down  with  the  disease  or 
had  become  worn  out  with  serving  day  and  night.  A  call  was 
made  for  assistance  and  volunteer  physicians.  Dr.  Wellford,  for- 
getting self,  not  fearing  his  personal  danger,  responded  to  the  call 
and  went  to  the  sick  and  dying  of  the  panic-stricken  Fernandina. 
It  was  while  ministering  to  those  people  he  was  stricken  down  and 


244  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

died  of  the  disease.  Thus  went  down  to  his  grave,  amidst  the  tears 
of  thousands  of  people,  the  noble  physician  and  Christian  gentle- 
man, who  sacrificed  his  life  for  the  good  of  others.  Dr.  Wellford's 
remains,  some  years  after  his  death,  were  brought  to  Fredericksburg 
for  final  interment,  and  now  repose  in  our  beautiful  cemetery. 

In  response  to  the  call  for  physicians  made  by  the  people  of 
Fernandina,  another  physician,  born  and  raised  in  Fredericksburg, 
Dr.  James  C.  Herndon,  made  his  way  to  that  city,  and  like  Dr. 
Wellford,  was  stricken  down  and  died  from  the  disease.  It  is 
peculiarly  appropriate  that  his  sacrifice  to  professional  duty  should 
be  acknowledged  in  connection  with  that  of  his  brother  physician's. 

To  the  honor  of  these  noble  men  a  memorial  window  has  been 
placed  in  St.  Peter's  Episcopal  church  in  Fernandina  by  Dr.  J.  H. 
Upham,  of  Boston,  who  felt  that  they  had  honored  the  profession 
by  the  sacrifices  they  made,  and  he  wanted  their  heroism  to  be 
placed  upon  a  lasting  record.  In  describing  the  window  the  Fer- 
nandina Mirror  says : 

"The  design  is  that  of  a  crown  in  the  upper  section  of  the  arch. 
Below  this  is  a  beautiful  shield  of  purple  illuminated  glass.  A 
cross  of  mother  of  pearl  forms  the  center  of  the  window,  orna- 
mented by  a  bunch  of  grapes,  with  the  symbol  of  the  anchor  repre- 
senting Hope,  the  holy  Scriptures,  illustrating  Christian  Faith; 
alpha  and  omega,  the  symbol  of  the  Almighty  Power,  the  beginning 
and  the  end;  the  cup  of  salvation,  and  the  paten,  the  emblem  of 
sacrifice.  In  the  lower  part  of  the  window  an  illuminated  tablet 
has  the  following  inscription: 

Francis  Preston  Wellford,  M.  D., 

Born  in  Fredericksburg,  Va., 

Sept.  12th,  1829. 

James  Carmichael  Herndon,  M.  D., 

Born  in  Fredericksburg,  Va., 

Sept.  22nd,  1831. 

Died  in  the  faithful  discharge  of  their 

duties,  at  Fernandina,  Florida, 

Oct.  18th,  1877. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  245 

To  whose  memory  as  a  grateful  record  of  their  noble  lives  and 
heroic  deaths  this  window  is  dedicated  by  a  New  England  mem- 
ber of  the  profession  which  they  so  much  honored  and  adorned. 
'  Greater  love  hath  no  man  than  this, 
That  he  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends/ 

"The  beautiful  execution  of  this  window,  and  the  noble  purpose 
to  which  it  is  dedicated  by  its  generous  donor,  deserve  the  admira- 
tion and  warm  appreciation  of  the  citizens  of  Fernandina,  to 
whom  the  memory  of  Drs.  Wellford  and  Herndon  is  deservedly 
dear,  and  will  be  regarded  by  our  citizens  as  a  graceful  profes- 
sional tribute  by  Dr.  Upham  to  these  noble  men,  as  well  as  an 
indication  of  his  kind  feelings  towards  our  city.  There  is  a  strik- 
ing coincidence  in  the  fact  that  these  noble  men  should  have  been 
born  in  the  same  city,  in  the  same  month,  and,  having  volunteered 
their  services,  reached  Feraandina  in  the  midst  of  the  epidemic 
on  the  same  day,  and  that  their  deaths  should  have  occurred  the 
same  day.  It  was,  therefore,  peculiarly  fitting  that  the  same 
memorial  should  have  been  erected  to  those  who  were  faithful  in 
life,  even  unto  death." 

William  Willis,  whose  remains  are  buried  in  the  City  cemetery, 
left  Fredericksburg  for  Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  the  summer  of  1870, 
which  city  he  made  his  home.  When  the  yellow  fever  scourge 
struck  that  place  in  1878,  and  the  city  was  deserted  of  most  of  its 
inhabitants,  except  the  helpless,  the  sick  and  the  dying,  it  was 
then,  in  spite  of  the  entreaty  of  his  friends  to  leave  the  city,  that 
Wm.  Willis  stepped  forth  and  took  charge,  as  the  chief  executive 
in  managing  the  affairs  of  the  city,  and  in  distributing  food,  cloth- 
ing and  medicine,  sent  from  all  quarters  of  the  country,  to  the 
sick,  the  helpless  and  the  needy.  It  was  while  in  the  execution 
of  this  noble  work  that  he  too,  was  stricken  down,  and  a  few  days' 
struggle  with  the  terrible  disease  and  William  Willis  was  no  more. 
In  his  delirium,  feeling  the  great  necessity  of  some  one  taking  up 
the  work,  he  had  so  faithfully  prosecuted,  where  he  was  compelled 
to  lay  it  down,  he  uttered  these  as  his  last  words:  "Send  some 
good  man  to  take  my  place,"  and  then  peacefully  passed  to  the 
spirit  land. 


246  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Thus  went  down  to  their  graves  three  Fredericksburg  men  in  the 
years  1877-78  of  yellow  fever,  who  sacrificed  their  own  lives  to  save 
the  lives  of  others. 

MRS.    LUCY    ANN    COX. 

There  is  buried  in  the  City  cemetery  Mrs.  Lucy  Ann  Cox,  with 
this  inscription  upon  her  head-stone.  "Lucy  Ann  Cox,  wife  of 
James  A.  Cox,  died  December  17,  1891,  aged  64  years.  A  sharer 
of  the  toils,  dangers  and  privations  of  the  30th  Va.  regiment  infan- 
try, C.  S.  A.,  from  1861  to  1865,  and  died  beloved  and  respected 
by  the  veterans  of  that  command."  The  stone  was  erected  by  her 
friends.  Mrs.  Cox  was  the  daughter  of  Jesse  White,  the  practical 
printer,  and  married  Mr.  Cox  just  before  the  Civil  war.  She 
followed  him  all  through  the  campaign  of  the  entire  war,  cooking 
and  washing  for  the  soldiers  of  her  command,  and  often  minister- 
ing to  the  sick  and  wounded. 

Molly  Pitcher  carried  water  from  a  spring,  at  Monmouth  Court- 
house, New  Jersey,  to  her  husband  and  others  who  had  charge  of  a 
cannon  during  the  battle,  and  when  she  saw  her  husband  shot 
down  and  heard  an  officer  order  the  gun  to  the  rear,  having  no  one 
to  man  it,  she  dropped  her  pail,  ran  to  the  cannon,  seized  the  ram- 
mer and  continued  loading  and  firing  the  gun  throughout  the  bat- 
tle. For  this  heroic  act  Washington  praised  her,  gave  her  an 
honorary  commission  as  captain  and  Congress  voted  her  half  pay 
for  life. 

Mrs.  Cox  engaged  in  no  battle,  but  instead  of  sharing  the  priva- 
tions and  dangers  of  her  husband  at  one  battle  she  followed  him 
through  the  entire  war  of  four  years,  and  was  voted  the  honor  of  a 
Confederate  veteran  after  the  war  by  the  veterans  themselves.  It 
is  doubtful  whether  in  all  the  past  a  similar  instance  can  be  found. 

A   REMARKABLE    GRAVE-STONE. 

There  is  to  be  found  in  the  burial  ground  of  St.  George's  church, 
at  the  east  end  of  the  Mission  House,  a  grave-stone  that  has  puzzled 
all  antiquarians  who  have  examined  it  and  which  has  never  yet 
been  satisfactorily  explained,  and  perhaps  never  will  be.  The  in- 
scription is  as  follows:     "Charles  M.  Rothrock,  departed  this  life 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  247 

Sept.  29,  1084,  aged  three  years."  The  figures  that  make  these 
dates  are  well  preserved,  much  better  than  on  many  slabs  and  head- 
stones in  the  same  burial  ground,  which  do  not  date  back  a  century 
and  a  half,  yet  on  this  slab  the  figures  are  quite  legibly  cut  in  the 
sandstone,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  that  the  year  is  1084.  It 
has  been  considered  such  a  mystery  and  of  such  importance  that 
a  photograph  of  the  stone  was  taken  and  an  engraving  made  for 
this  publication. 

THE  LIBERTY  BELL. 

The  very  name — Liberty  Bell — is  music  to  our  ears,  and  the 
mention  of  it  should  fill  the  breast  of  every  true  American  with 
patriotic  enthusiasm.  That  bell  hung  over  a  hall  in  Philadelphia 
in  1776,  in  which  the  Continental  Congress  had  met  to  consider 
the  momentous  question  that  was  then  stirring  every  patriotic 
hearts — American  freedom.  Virginia  was  represented  in  that  Con- 
gress by  George  Wythe,  Eichard  Henry  Lee,  Thomas  Jefferson, 
Benjamin  Harrison,  Thomas  Nelson,  Jr.,  Francis  Lightfoot  Lee 
and  Carter  Braxton. 

That  body  of  patriots  prepared,  considered  and  adopted  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  and  as  they  finished  signing  their 
names  to  the  instrument,  on  the  fourth  day  of  July,  this  bell  rang 
out  the  thrilling  news  that  Americans  were  freemen.  Since  that 
stirring  event — that  memorable  day — that  hall  has  been  known  as 
Independence  Hall,  and  the  bell  that  hung  over  it  as  the  Liberty 
Bell. 

On  the  4th  of  October,  1895,  the  old  Liberty  Bell  passed  through 
Fredericksburg  on  its  way  from  Philadelphia  to  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
where  it  was  to  be  exhibited  at  the  great  exhibition  in  that  city. 
Prior  to  its  coming  Mayor  Eowe  had  been  notified  when  it  would 
arrive  and  how  long  it  would  remain  for  inspection.  The  City 
Council  was  called  together  and  steps  were  taken  to  give  the  old 
bell  a  grand  reception  and  cordial  welcome.  A  set  of  patriotic 
resolutions  was  adopted,  extolling  the  events  that  brought  the  bell 
into  such  popular  favor,  recounting  the  part  taken  in  those  events 
by  Virginians  and  the  precious  legacy  left  to  us  by  our  self-sacrific- 
ing forefathers,  until  a  patriotic  fervor  pervaded  the  town. 


248  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

The  bell  was  accompanied  by  Hon.  Charles  F.  Warwick,  Mayor  of 
Philadelphia;  Wencel  Harman,  President  of  the  Common  Council, 
and  thirteen  members  of  that  body;  Charles  K.  Smith,  Chairman 
of  the  Select  Council,  and  thirteen  members  of  that  body;  twelve 
officials  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  including  S.  A.  Eisenhower, 
Chief  of  Bureau  of  City  Property,  and  Custodian  of  the  State  House 
and  Bell,  with  a  guard  of  honor,  consisting  of  four  of  the  reserve 
police  of  Philadelphia. 

A  party,  including  a  committee  from  the  City  Council — Messrs. 
John  T.  Knight,  E.  D.  Cole  and  J.  Stansbury  Wallace— met  the  bell 
at  Quantico,  where  Judge  James  B.  Sener,  who  had  accompanied 
the  party  from  Washington,  delivered  an  appropriate  address  of 
welcome  on  the  part  of  the  State  of  Virginia.  The  party  arrived  in 
Fredericksburg  on  time,  and  found  at  the  depot  a  vast  concourse  of 
people  and  a  procession  headed  by  Bowering's  Band  and  the  Wash- 
ington Guards,  consisting  of  the  Mayor,  ex-Mayors,  Common  Coun- 
cil, Sons  of  Confederate  Veterans,  school  children  and  citizens 
generally. 

All  the  bells  in  town  were  ringing,  the  steam  whistles  were  blow- 
ing and  everybody  was  rejoiciDg.  Such  a  time  had  scarcely,  if 
ever,  been  seen  before  by  our  people.  As  soon  as  the  train  bearing 
the  bell  and  escort  halted,  Mayor  Rowe  and  others  went  on  board 
the  car,  and,  after  the  usual  introductions  and  salutations,  Mayor 
Rowe,  who  was  somewhat  indisposed,  presented  Mr.  W.  Seymour 
White,  who  made  the  welcome  address  as  follows: 

Mr.  Mayor  of  Philadelphia  and  Gentlemen  of  the  Escort  of  the 
Liberty  Bell: 

It  is  with  a  most  peculiar  pleasure  that  we  greet  you  and  wel- 
come this  sacred  relic  within  the  boundaries  of  the  Old  Dominion. 
It  is  most  fitting  that  it  should  rest  upon  the  breast  of  this  great 
old  State,  for  it  was  the  voice  of  a  great  Virginian  that  sounded  the 
tocsin  of  the  Revolution;  it  was  the  pen  of  a  great  Virginian  that 
drafted  the  Declaration  of  Independence  that  was  greeted  by  the 
voice  of  this  bell ;  it  was  the  sword  of  a  great  Virginian  that  made 
that  declaration  an  accomplished  fact,  and  it  was  while  tolling  the 


The  Free  Lance— Star  Office. 

i  s.m'  page  "JUT  i 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  249 

requiem  for  the  soul  of  the  great  Virginian  jurist,  John  Marshall, 
that  its  voice  ever  became  silent.  It  is  with  feelings  of  heart- 
felt delight  that  we  welcome  it  within  the  corporate  limits  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, connected  inseparably,  as  she  is,  like  your  own  great 
and  proud  city  of  Philadelphia,  with  the  events  proclaimed  in 
that  glorious  past  by  that  sacred  bell ;  for  it  was  in  Fredericksburg, 
on  the  29th  of  April,  1775,  that  the  first  resolutions  breathing  the 
spirit  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  were  offered;  it  was  in 
Fredericksburg  that  Hugh  Mercer  lived,  whose  ashes  rest  in  your 
beloved  soil,  in  whose  defence  he  died;  and  in  Fredericksburg 
once  lived  that  great  American  President  that  gave  to  all  the  ages 
the  grand  doctrine  that  these  United  States  would  never  tolerate 
the  acquisition  of  an  inch  of  American  soil  by  any  prince,  potentate 
or  power  of  Europe.  We  are  glad  that  this  bell  is  going  about  the 
land,  in  the  language  of  your  great  and  good  president,  Judge 
Thayer,  "stirring  up  everywhere  as  it  goes  those  memories  and 
patriotic  impulses  that  are  so  inseparably  connected  with  its  history, 
and  which  themselves  can  never  grow  mute,"  and  we  doubt  not 
that  this  bell,  though  voiceless  now,  can  still  "proclaim  liberty 
throughout  all  the  land  unto  all  the  inhabitants  thereof;  and  who 
can  tell  but  that  as  the  rolling  waves  of  the  blue  Mexican  Gulf 
thunder  upon  the  shores  of  the  Queen  of  the  Antilles,  the  proud, 
triumphal  progress  of  the  Liberty  Bell,  they  may  bear  to  patriots, 
struggling  to  be  free  in  that  far  off  land,  the  sympathy  of  the  great 
hearts  of  American  freemen  that  yet  beat  responsive  to  the  efforts 
of  those  whose  love  of  liberty  is  stronger  than  death?"  We  are 
glad  that  our  men  and  women  may  see  it,  and  at  the  sacred  flame 
that  burns  about  its  altar  replenish  the  patriotic  fire  that  still  is 
trimmed  and  burning  in  the  hearts  of  a  re-united  American  people. 
We  are  glad  that  our  children  may  see  it  to  learn  from  its  presence 
and  history  that  the  dearest  heritage  left  them  by  their  fathers  is 
that  liberty  and  independence  once  proclaimed  by  this  bell.  And 
so  we  bid  God  speed  to  the  bell  which  once  "rang  redress  to  all 
mankind,"  as  it  goes  through  the  land  proclaiming  to  all  the  na- 
tions of  the  world  that  a  "government  by  the  people,  of  the  people 
and  for  the  people"  has  not  perished  from  off  the  face  of  the  earth, 


250  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

but  "still  lives  the  home  of  liberty  and  the  birth-right  of  every 
American  citizen." 

Mayor  Warwick  responded  in  a  patriotic  and  appropriate  address, 
after  which  the  guests  were  driven  around  town  in  carriages  until 
the  time  for  their  departure,  when  they  boarded  the  train  and 
started  on  their  trip  South,  delighted  with  their  reception  in  Fred- 
ericksburg. 

A  Chinaman  who  witnessed  the  demonstration  remarked  that 
Christians  charged  his  people  with  idolatry  in  worshipping  the 
dead,  because  they  honored  their  deceased  parents,  but  a  Chinaman 
never  worshipped  an  old  bell  as  he  had  seen  Christian  people  doing 
on  this  occasion. 


CHAPTER  XVII 

Visits  of  Heroes — Gala  Days — The  Society  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  Enters  Town,  &c. 

Fredericksburg  has  received  the  visits  of  many  heroes  and  states- 
men, and  on  various  occasions  has  been  placed  on  "dress  parade," 
and  proved  herself  equal  to  the  demands  made  upon  her  on  every 
occasion.  Only  a  few  of  these  visits  are  mentioned  here,  but  these 
few  should  be  placed  upon  perpetual  record  that  they  may  inspire 
our  noble  youth  and  the  coming  generations  and  cause  them  to 
appreciate  more  highly  the  great  blessings  transmitted  to  them 
through  the  efforts  and  achievements  of  those  heroes. 

GEN.  GREEN  VISITS  THE  TOWN. 

The  first  we  mention  is  the  visit  of  Major-General  Nathaniel 
Green,  on  his  way  from  Georgia  to  his  home  in  New  Hampshire  at 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  war.  In  1780  the  patriot  cause 
in  Georgia  and  North  Carolina  appeared  to  be  lost,  in  consequence 
of  the  overwhelming  numbers  of  the  British  and  the  ravages  of  the 
Tories,  which  brought  disaster  to  our  arms.  In  this  condition  of 
things  Washington  recommended  that  Gen.  Nathaniel  Green  should 
be  placed  in  command,  but  Congress  sent  Gen.  Gates  instead.  Be- 
fore leaving  for  his  new  field  Gen.  Gates  had  an  interview  with 
Gen.  Charles  Lee — who  was  then  without  a  command — in  Freder- 
icksburg, when  Gen.  Lee  charged  him  in  parting,  "Beware  that 
your  northern  laurels  do  not  change  to  southern  willows."  Gen. 
Gates  went  to  his  field  of  operation,  met  with  disaster,  and  was 
relieved  by  Gen.  Green;  and  it  is  worthy  of  note  that  Gen.  Gates 
left  Fredericksburg  for  his  southern  command,  and  Gen.  Green 
passed  through  Fredericksburg  when  he  went  down  to  relieve  him. 

Gen.  Green  was  fortunate  in  having  to  aid  him  in  his  southern 
department  such  dashing  commanders  as  Gen.  Daniel  Morgan,  of 
Winchester;  Col.  Wm.  Washington,  of  Stafford,  and  Col.  Henry 
Lee,  of  Westmoreland  county — Gen.  Robert  E.  Lee's  father  and 
known  as  "Light  Horse  Harry."     With  these  brave  men  Green 

[251  ] 


252  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

succeeded  in  driving  the  British  before  him  and  subduing  the 
Tories,  thus  restoring  peace  and  quiet  to  that  panic-stricken  people, 
and  greatly  endearing  him  to  all  patriots.  In  grateful  recognition 
of  his  services  the  State  of  Georgia  gave  him  a  magnificent  farm 
and  residence,  and  on  his  return  from  the  South  to  his  home,  in  New 
Hampshire,  he  met  with  grand  ovations  all  along  the  route.  He 
passed  through  Fredericksburg  on  the  12th  of  September,  1783. 
A  public  meeting  of  the  citizens  was  called,  which  adopted  and 
presented  an  address  to  the  war-scarred  hero.  The  masses  gathered 
to  greet  him,  and  the  old  soldiers,  who  had  just  returned  home 
from  victorious  fields,  went  into  ecstasy  over  him.  The  following 
is  the  address  of  the  people  of  Fredericksburg : 
To  the  Honorable  Major-General  Green,  Commander-in-Chief  of 

the  Armies  of  the  United  States  of  America,  in  the  Southern 

Department : 
Sir — We,  the  inhabitants  of  the  town  of  Fredericksburg,  im- 
pressed with  just  sentiments  of  the  importance  of  your  singular  ser- 
vices rendered  our  country,  as  Commander  of  the  Armies  of  the 
United  States  in  the  Southern  Department,  cannot  omit  rendering 
you  our  acknowledgements  as  a  grateful,  though  small,  tribute,  so 
justly  due  to  your  distinguished  character  as  a  soldier,  a  gentleman 
and  friend  to  American  liberty.  We  lament  that  the  absence  of 
the  Mayor,  and  other  officers  of  the  corporation,  deprives  us  of  the 
opportunity  of  rendering  you  this  token  of  gratitude  in  the  style  of 
a  corporation,  but  we  trust,  sir,  that  your  own  conscious  merit  will 
give  us  credit,  when  we  assure  you  that  we  now  present  you  the 
united  thanks  of  this  city  for  your  zealous,  important  and  success- 
ful services  in  recovering  the  Southern  States  from  our  cruel  enemy, 
and  restoring  peace,  liberty  and  safety  to  so  great  a  part  of  our 
country.  We  cannot  express,  sir,  our  great  joy  in  seeing  you  once 
more  among  us,  and  language  is  too  faint  to  paint  the  contrast  in 
the  cause  of  liberty  since  you  passed  us  to  take  the  command  of 
the  Southern  Army.  Permit  us,  therefore,  to  pass  over  the  then 
gloomy  moment  and  to  participate  in  the  pleasure  you  now  enjoy 
in  the  possession  of  the  American  Laurel,  a  crown  as  splendid  as 
all  the  honors  of  a  Roman  Triumph.     We  also  beg  leave  to  follow 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  253 

you  with  our  best  wishes  into  domestic  life.  May  you  long  enjoy 
uninterrupted,  under  your  vine,  all  the  happiness  of  that  Peace, 
Liberty  and  Safety,  for  which  you  and  your  gallant  officers  and 
soldiers  have  so  nobly  fought  and  greatly  conquered.  We  have  the 
honor  to  be  with  every  sentiment  of  respect,  your  most  obedient  and 
very  humble  servants.  Signed  by  order  of  the  inhabitants. 
Sept.  12,  1783.  Charles  Mortimer,  Chairman. 

To  this  address  Gen.  Green  responded  as  follows: 

To  the  Inhabitants  of  the  City  of  Fredericksburg : 

Gentlemen — Highly  nattered  by  your  address,  and  no  les3 
honored  by  your  sentiments,  how  shall  I  acknowledge  fully  your 
generosity  in  either!  From  your  hearty  welcome  to  this  city  and 
your  good  wishes  for  my  future  welfare  I  feel  the  overflowings  of 
a  grateful  mind.  The  noblest  reward  for  the  best  services  is 
the  favorable  opinion  of  our  fellow  citizens.  Happy  in  your  as- 
surances, I  shall  feel  myself  amply  rewarded,  if  I  have  but  the 
good  wishes  of  my  country.  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  gentlemen, 
your  most  obedient,  humble  servant, 

Sept.  12,  1783.  Nathaniel  Green. 

GEN.  WASHINGTON  VISITS   HIS  MOTHER. 

In  December,  1783,  General  Washington  visited  Fredericksburg. 
He  had  just  resigned  his  commission  of  Commander-in-Chief  of 
the  American  Armies,  and  as  a  private  citizen  had  come  to  visit 
his  mother  and  friends  at  his  old  home.  He  was  the  uncrowned 
King  of  America,  and  was  uncrowned  only  because  he  refused  to 
be  crowned.  He  came  with  victory  upon  his  brow,  and  peace  and 
liberty  for  the  American  people.  From  mouth  to  mouth  went  the 
message — "the  great  and  good  Washington  is  coming."  From 
town  and  country  the  masses  gathered  to  give  him  welcome  and  do 
him  honor.  The  military  turned  out,  the  civic  societies  paraded, 
the  cannon  boomed  and  everybody  went  into  raptures  over  his  com- 
ing. The  City  Council  was  called  together  and  the  following  ad- 
dress was  adopted,  amid  the  wildest  enthusiasm,  and  presented 
to  the  grand  American: 


254  History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia 

To  his  Excellency,  General  Washington,  late  Commander-in-Chief 
of  the  Armies  of  America: 

Sir — While  applauding  millions  were  offering  you  their  warmest 
congratulations  of  the  blessings  of  peace  and  your  safe  return  from 
the  hazards  of  the  field,  we,  the  Mayor  and  Commonalty  of  the 
corporation  of  Fredericksburg,  were  not  wanting  in  attachment  and 
wishes  to  have  joined  in  public  testimonies  of  our  warmest  gratitude 
and  affection  for  your  long  and  meritorious  services  in  the  cause 
of  liberty;  a  cause,  sir,  in  which,  by  your  examples  and  exertions, 
with  the  aid  of  your  gallant  army,  the  virtuous  citizens  of  this 
western  world  are  secured  in  freedom  and  independence,  and  al- 
though you  have  laid  aside  your  official  character,  we  cannot  omit 
this  first  opportunity  you  have  given  us  of  presenting,  with  un- 
feigned hearts,  our  sincere  congratulations  on  your  returning  in 
safety  from  the  noisy  clashing  of  arms  to  the  walks  of  domestic 
ease.  And  it  affords  us  great  joy  to  see  you  once  more  at  a  place 
that  claims  the  honor  of  your  growing  infancy,  the  seat  of  your 
venerable  and  amiable  parent  and  worthy  relatives.  We  want  lan- 
guage to  express  the  happiness  we  feel  on  this  occasion,  which  can- 
not be  expressed  but  by  superior  acts  (if  possible)  of  the  divine 
favor.  May  the  great  and  omnipotent  Euler  of  all  human  events, 
who,  in  blessing  America,  has  conducted  you  through  so  many  dan- 
gers, continue  his  favor  and  protection  through  the  remainder  of 
your  life  in  the  happy  society  of  an  affectionate  and  grateful  peo- 
ple. I  have  the  honor  to  be,  in  behalf  of  the  corporation,  with 
every  sentiment  of  esteem  and  respect,  your  Excellency's  most 
humble  servant,  William  McWilliams,  Mayor. 

To  this  beautiful  and  appropriate  address,  the  noble  Washing- 
ton responded  as  follows: 

To  the  Worshipful,  the  Mayor  and  Commonalty  of  the  Corporation 
of  Fredericksburg : — 

Gentlemen — With  the  greatest  pleasure  I  receive  in  the  char- 
acter of  a  private  citizen,  the  honor  of  your  address.  To  a  benevo- 
lent Providence  and  the  fortitude  of  a  Brave  and  Virtuous  army, 
supported  by  the  general  exertion  of  our  common  country,  I  stand 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  255 

indebted  for  the  plaudits  you  now  bestow.  The  reflection,  how- 
ever, of  having  met  the  congratulating  smiles  and  approbation  of 
my  fellow  citizens  for  the  part  I  have  acted  in  the  cause  of  Liberty 
and  Independence  cannot  fail  of  adding  pleasure  to  the  other  sweets 
of  domestic  life;  and  my  sensibility  of  them  is  heightened  by  their 
coming  from  the  respectable  inhabitants  of  the  place  of  my  growing 
infancy*  and  the  honorable  mention  which  is  made  of  my  revered 
mother,  by  whose  maternal  hand  (early  deprived  of  a  Father,)  I 
was  led  to  manhood.  For  the  expressions  of  personal  affection 
and  attachment,  and  for  your  kind  wishes  for  my  future  welfare, 
I  offer  grateful  thanks  and  my  sincere  prayers  for  the  happiness 
and  prosperity  of  the  corporate  town  of  Fredericksburg, 

G°  Washington. 

The  ceremonies  of  this  gala  day  were  closed  with  a  ball  at  the 
market-house  at  night,  which  is  known  in  history  as  the  "peace 
ball."  At  the  special  request  of  the  citizens,  Mary,  the  mother  of 
Washington,  attended  this  ball  and  held  a  reception  in  company 
with  her  illustrious  son.  She  "occupied  a  slightly  elevated  position, 
from  which  she  could  overlook  the  floor  and  see  the  dancers,  and 
among  them  the  kingly  figure  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  who 
led  a  Fredericksburg  matron  through  a  minuet."f 

It  will  be  noticed — and  the  fact  will  no  doubt  be  treasured  with 
pride — that  Washington,  in  his  reply  to  the  address  on  this  occasion, 
alludes  to  Fredericksburg  as  the  place  of  his  "growing  infancy/' 

*  Mayor  Robert  Lewis,  a  nephew  of  Washington,  delivered  the  welcome 
address  to  Lafayette  when  he  visited  Fredericksburg  in  1824,  in  which  he  said : 
"The  presence  of  the  friend  of  Washington  excites  the  tenderest  emotions  and 
associations  among  a  people,  whose  town  enjoys  the  distinguished  honor  of  hav- 
ing been  the  residence  of  the  Father  of  His  Country  during  the  days  of  his 
childhood  and  youth." — Pamphlet  of  Reception  of  Lafayette  at  Fredericks- 
burg, page  4. 

"At  this  place,  sir,  which  calls  to  our  recollection  several  among  the  most 
honored  names  of  the  Revolutionary  war,  I  did,  many  years  ago,  salute  the 
first  residence  of  our  paternal  chief,  received  the  blessing  of  his  venerated 
mother,  and  of  his  dear  sister,  your  own  respected  parent." — Extract  of  Gen- 
eral Lafayette's  reply  to  the  above. 

"The  city  of  Fredericksburg — first  residence  of  Washington — may  she  more 
and  more  attain  all  the  prosperity  which  independence,  republicanism  and  in- 
dustry cannot  fail  to  procure."  Sentiment  offered  by  Lafayette  at  a  banquet 
on  the  above  occasion. 

f  Manly's  Southern  Literature. 


256  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

which  shows  that,  history  and  tradition  to  the  contrary  notwith- 
standing, he  grew  up  in  this  town,  where  he  was  educated,  and 
where  the  hand  of  that  revered  mother  led  him  to  manhood,  and 
the  address  of  Robt.  Lewis,  nephew  of  Washington,  to  Gen.  La- 
fayette makes  the  same  claim. 

gen.  Lafayette's  last  visit. 

On  the  27th  day  of  November,  1824,  Gen.  Lafayette  visited  the 
town  and  remained  two  days.  He  was  Washington's  right  arm  in 
the  Revolutionary  war,  and  was  visiting  for  the  last  time  the  early 
home  of  Washington,  where  he  took  affectionate  farewell  of  Wash- 
ington's mother,  in  the  early  part  of  the  year  1783,  as  he  returned 
to  France.  The  General's  coming  was  known  some  days  before- 
hand and  a  splendid  mounted  guard  of  honor  was  organized  in  town 
and  country,  who  met  him  just  above  the  "Wilderness  Tavern." 
At  that  place  hundreds  of  others  joined  the  procession,  including 
the  volunteer  companies  from  Fredericksburg,  and  thus  he  and 
his  party — his  son  George  Washington  and  Colonel  La  Vasseur — 
were  escorted  to  town  by  hundreds  of  mounted  men  and  men  on 
foot,  with  martial  music,  amid  the  grandest  display  and  wildest 
enthusiasm  on  the  part  of  the  people.  He  received  a  welcome  to 
the  town  no  less  cordial  and  sincere  than  was  accorded  to  Green 
and  Washington,  because  the  liberty,  so  highly  prized  and  gratefully 
enjoyed  by  them,  was  not  achieved  by  Green  and  Washington  with- 
out the  aid  of  Lafayette.  A  public  reception  was  held  during  the 
day,  when  he  was  welcomed  by  Mayor  Robert  Lewis,  Washington's 
nephew,  and  Lafayette's  intimate  friend,  and  thousands  shook  him 
by  the  hand  and  wished  him  a  safe  voyage  home  to  his  own  beloved 
France. 

At  night  a  ball  was  given  in  his  honor  over  the  present  market- 
house,  where  hundreds  gathered  to  do  him  honor  and  contribute 
to  his  pleasure.  The  next  day  being  Sunday  he  visited  the  Masonic 
Lodge,  which  was  the  mother  lodge  of  his  "bosom  friend,"  Wash- 
ington, enrolled  his  name  as  an  honorary  member,  eulogized  Wash- 
ington and  attended  services  at  St.  George's  Episcopal  church. 

On  the  following  morning,  with  the  same  mounted  escort,  with 


1  ji«                                    4  ^  A^Jm 

1  -£'£#<  .'■■*'■■  i  3HL  .1 

Entrance  to  National  Cemetery,  erected  on  Willis's  Hill,  a  portion 

of  the  Marye  Heights. 

(See  page  190) 


The  Superintendent's  Lodge  at  the  National  Cemetery,  constructed 
of  the  stone  taken  from  the  famous  "stone  wall." 
(See  page  191) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  257 

music  and  the  booming  of  cannon,  he  departed  for  the  Potomac 
river,  on  his  way  to  the  city  of  Washington,  with  the  best  wishes 
and  earnest  prayers  of  all  the  good  people  of  Fredericksburg. 

At  the  reception  at  the  town  hall  were  Mr.  Lafayette  Johnston 
and  his  good  wife,  Mrs.  Eliza  Johnston.  Mr.  Johnston  was  named 
for  Lafayette,  and  having  a  son  born  to  them  during  Lafayette's 
visit  in  this  country,  concluded  to  add  a  further  honor  to  the 
General  by  naming  their  son  for  him,  which  they  did  and  notified 
the  General  of  it.  Lafayette  responded  with  the  following  letter, 
which  is  now  framed  and  in  possession  of  Mr.  H.  Stuart  Johnston, 
a  great-grandson: 

Washington,  January  6,  1825. 

Dear  Sir — I  am  much  obliged  to  the  remembrance  of  my 
brother  soldier  when  he  gave  you  my  name,  and  am  now  to  thank 
you  for  an  act  of  kindness  of  the  same  nature  conferred  upon  me 
by  his  son.  I  beg  your  consort  and  yourself  to  accept  my  acknow- 
ledgement to  you,  my  blessing  upon  the  boy,  and  my  good  wishes 
to  the  family.  Most  truly,  yours, 

To  Fayette  Johnston,  Esq.  Lafayette. 

GEN.    ANDREW    JACKSON'S    VISIT. 

The  next  hero  to  visit  the  town,  that  we  mention,  was  the  "Hero 
of  New  Orleans,"  Andrew  Jackson,  President  of  the  United  States, 
who,  with  most  of  his  cabinet,  came  on  the  7th  of  May,  1833.  The 
occasion  was  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  Mary  Washington 
monument,  which  Mr.  Silas  Burrows  proposed  to  erect  to  her 
memory.  The  civic  and  military  display  was  very  imposing  and 
the  crowd  was  well  up  into  the  thousands. 

Military  companies  from  Washington,  Alexandria,  Fauquier 
county,  and  United  States  marines,  and  our  own  military  com- 
panies, were  in  line,  under  the  command  of  Col.  John  Bankhead, 
of  White  Plains,  chief  marshal.  Col.  John  B.  Hill  was  chief 
architect  of  the  monument.     It  was  a  great  day  in  Fredericksburg. 

DEDICATION    OF    MARY    WASHINGTON    MONUMENT. 

The  next  occasion  was  the  dedication  of  the  Mary  Washington 
monument,  erected  by  the  Ladies'  Mary  Washington  Monument 
17 


258  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Associations,  national  and  local,  on  the  10th  of  Ma)',  1894,  sixty- 
one  years  and  three  days  after  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the 
Burrows  monument.  A  more  beautiful  day  could  not  have  dawned 
upon  the  city,  and  everything  had  been  well  planned  and  faithfully 
executed  for  the  grand  event  of  the  day. 

The  streets  and  houses  were  beautifully  decorated  all  along  the 
route  of  the  march,  and  the  private  residences  were  adorned  and 
made  gay  with  national  and  State  flags.  It  was  a  general  holiday 
for  town  and  country,  and  it  appeared  that  everybody  was  present 
and  intent  upon  seeing  the  dignitaries  who  were  to  be  here  and 
hearing  the  addresses  and  ceremonies.  Besides  hundreds  of  invited 
guests  from  different  parts  of  the  United  States,  distinguished 
men  and  ladies,  President  Cleveland  and  nearly  the  entire  cabinet 
and  their  wives,  Vice-President  Stevenson  and  Mrs.  Stevenson, 
United  States  Senators,  Representatives  in  Congress,  Governor 
O'Ferrall  and  his  staff,  two  members  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the 
United  States — Chief  Justice  Fuller  and  Justice  Harlan — were 
present.  The  crowd  was  so  immense  that  the  ground  seemed  to 
tremble  under  their  tread.  It  was  the  biggest  day  Fredericksburg 
ever  had  in  the  memory  of  man. 

FREDERICKSHURGERS   EVERYWHERE. 

Fredericksburg  has  one  peculiarity  that  tradition  gives  her,  which 
is  worthy  of  a  place  in  this  sketch,  and  that  is,  that  in  every  city  of 
any  size  in  the  civilized  world  a  native  of  Fredericksburg,  or  some 
one  who  has  lived  in  Fredericksburg,  can  be  found.  This  is  said 
to  have  been  an  old  saying  of  tourists,  sailors,  marines  and  naval  offi- 
cers, who  candidly  declared  that  they  were  always  able  to  find  a 
Fredericksburger  in  every  place  of  any  size  they  had  visited. 

Capt.  George  Minor,  who  was  born  and  raised  in  Fredericksburg, 
and  who  was  a  captain  in  the  United  States  navy,  and  afterwards 
in  the  Confederate  navy,  often  related  this  curious  fact,  and  stated 
that  it  was  positively  true  as  to  him  in  all  his  travels  both  by  land 
and  sea.  In  connection  with  this  singular  fact  he  related  this  inci- 
dent :  Before  the  Civil  war  he  sailed  into  the  harbor  of  the  city  of 
Honolulu,  on  the  Hawaii  islands,  which  have  recently  become  a 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  259 

part  of  the  United  States.  He  thought  of  this  peculiarity  of  his 
old  home  town,  but  felt  confident  that  no  Fredericksburger  could 
be  found  in  Honolulu,  situated  as  it  was  away  out  in  the  Pacific 
ocean.  He  made  his  way  to  the  city,  and,  after  some  delay,  pro- 
cured a  guide  to  conduct  him  about  the  place,  who  could  speak 
English. 

As  they  progressed  on  their  rounds  from  place  to  place,  the  guide 
pointing  out  places  of  note,  giving  an  interesting  history  of  the 
place  and  people,  their  customs,  habits  and  peculiarities,  he  found 
himself  very  much  interested  in  his  guide  and  his  narratives,  and 
wished  to  know  something  of  his  history.  So  he  asked  him :  "Are 
you  a  native  of  Honolulu !"  "No,  sir/'  was  the  response  of  the 
guide.  "Well,"  continued  the  Captain,  "where  are  you  from?" 
"I  am  from  Fredericksburg,  Virginia,"  answered  the  guide.  "I 
learned  my  trade  of  printer  under  Timothy  Green,  in  the  Virginia 
Herald  office."  "I  am  from  Fredericksburg,  too,  and  know  Mr. 
Green  well,"  said  Capt.  Minor,  and  the  two  Fredericksburgers  had 
a  real  love  feast.  After  that  experience  Capt.  Minor  said  he  never 
expected  to  land  anywhere  that  he  did  not  find  a  Fredericksburg 
man. 

THE  SOCIETY  OF  THE  ARMY  OF  THE  POTOMAC  ENTERS  TOWN. 

The  hospitality  of  the  people  of  Fredericksburg  is  as  well  known 
probably  as  any  other  characteristic  of  her  citizens.  It  has 
been  thoroughly  tested  on  many  occasions,  and  has  never  failed  to 
measure  up  to  the  demands  and  even  exceeded  the  expectations  of 
the  recipients.  It  is  gratifying,  too,  to  be  able  to  say  that  even  our 
former  enemies  have  been  partakers  of  the  hospitalities  of  the  town, 
at  our  private  residences  and  in  our  public  halls,  and  have  found 
language  too  poor  to  properly  express  their  gratification  of  the 
warm  welcome  and  the  generous  hospitality  they  received  while  in 
our  midst.  This  was  the  case  with  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  in  May,  1900. 

It  had  been  suggested  by  some  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  the 
town  that  it  would  be  a  gracious  thing,  and  would  testify  our  kind 
feeling  towards  the  members  of  that  organization,  for  the  City 
Council  to  invite  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  hold 


260  History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia 

its  thirty-first  annual  reunion,  in  1900,  in  the  city  of  Fredericks- 
burg, as  guests  of  the  town.  The  society  had  never  held  a  reunion 
on  southern  soil,  and  it  was  deemed  appropriate  that  its  first  meet- 
ing should  be  here,  where  they  could  meet  and  mingle  with  Con- 
federate veterans,  where  so  many  bloody  battles  were  fought  between 
the  two  great  armies  of  the  Civil  war. 

It  had  been  intimated  that  members  of  the  society,  and  even 
officials  of  the  organization,  had  expressed  a  desire  to  hold  a  session 
in  Fredericksburg,  which  would  give  many  old  soldiers  an  oppor- 
tunity to  visit  again  the  historic  grounds,  over  which  they  had 
fought,  and  view  the  country  in  times  of  peace.  The  City  Council 
caught  the  spirit  and  approved  the  suggestion,  and  on  the  27th  of 
July,  1899,  unanimously  passed  the  following  resolution: 

"Resolved  by  the  Common  Council  of  the  city  of  Fredericksburg, 
Virginia,  That  his  honor,  the  Mayor,  be  and  he  is  hereby,  author- 
ized and  instructed  to  extend  a  cordial  invitation  to  the  Society  of 
the  Army  of  the  Potomac  to  hold  its  annual  meeting  for  the  year 
1900  in  this  city,  and  to  urge  the  acceptance  of  this  invitation  by 
said  society,  assuring  its  members  that  they  will  meet  with  a 
cordial  and  fraternal  welcome  by  our  citizens  generally,  and  that 
every  effort  will  be  made  on  our  part  to  make  their  sojourn  here 
pleasant  and  agreeable  to  them." 

While  the  resolution  did  not  authorize  it,  it  was  understood  that 
the  Mayor  would  attend  the  reunion  in  September  of  that  year, 
either  in  person  or  by  a  representative,  and  urge  the  society  to 
accept  the  invitation  of  the  city  authorities.  Mayor  Rowe,  being 
unable  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the  body,  requested  Judge  James 
B.  Sener  to  represent  him,  which  he  did,  and  presented  the 
resolution  of  the  Council  in  an  eloquent  and  patriotic  address, 
which  was  well  received  by  the  society.  The  result  was  Judge 
Sener  was  elected  an  honorary  member  of  the  society  and  the 
invitation  was  unanimously  accepted; 

Upon  the  information  that  its  invitation  had  been  accepted,  and 
that  May  25th  and  20th,  1900,  were  the  days  fixed  for  holding 
the  reunion,  the  Council  appointed  a  reception  committee  of  fifteen 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  261 

— five  of  its  own  body  and  ten  from  the  citizens,  which  was  increased 
by  the  committee  itself  to  twenty — to  make  all  the  necessary  ar- 
rangements and  see  that  the  members  of  the  society,  and  the  visi- 
tors on  that  occasion,  were  properly  received  and  entertained. 
Those  appointed  of  the  Council  were  Col.  E.  D.  Cole,  John  T. 
Knight,  fm.  E.  Bradley,  H.  B.  Lane,  George  W.  Wroten.  Those 
from  the  citizens  were  Capt.  S.  J.  Quinn,  Major  T.  E.  Morris,  St. 
Geo.  E.  Fitzhugh,  H.  F.  Crismond,  John  M.  Griffin,  Isaac  Hirsh, 
James  A.  Turner,  If.  H.  Wallace,  Thos.  N".  Brent  and  James  P. 
Corbin. 

The  committee  met  and  organized,  with  Col.  E.  D.  Cole,  chair- 
man, and  Capt.  S.  J.  Quinn,  secretary,  and  the  following  gentle- 
men were  associated  with  the  committee :  Capt.  M.  B.  Rowe,  A. 
T.  Embrey,  Judge  John  T.  Goolrick,  Capt.  T.  McCracken  and 
George  W.  Shepherd.  The  committee  was  then  divided  up  into 
sub-committees  and  assigned  to  necessary  and  appropriate  duties, 
which  were  well  and  faithfully  discharged. 

To  assist  at  the  banquet  and  lunch  on  the  occasion,  the  committee 
requested  the  services  of  the  following  ladies,  who  responded  cheer- 
fully and  did  so  nobly  the  parts  assigned  them  that  they  merited, 
and  received,  the  hearty  thanks  of  the  committee  and  visitors: 
Mrs.  James  P.  Corbin,  Miss  Mary  Harrison  Fitzhugh,  Mrs.  Wm.  L. 
Brannan,  Miss  Mary  Shepherd,  Mrs.  Vivian  M.  Fleming,  Mrs.  H. 
Hoomes  Johnston,  Miss  Lula  Braxton,  Mrs.  L.  L.  Coghill,  Mrs.  E. 
Dorsey  Cole,  Miss  Corson,  Mrs.  H.  F.  Crismond,  Miss  E.  May 
Dickinson,  Mrs.  Wm.  F.  Ficklen,  Miss  Goodwin,  Mrs.  John  T. 
Goolrick,  Miss  Alice  Gordon,  Miss  Sallie  Gravatt,  Mrs.  John  M. 
Griffin,  Miss  Louise  Hamilton,  Miss  Roberta  Hart,  Mrs.  David 
Hirsh,  Mrs.  Henry  Kaufman,  Mrs.  Harry  B.  Lane,  Mrs.  H.  McD. 
Martin,  Miss  Annie  Myer,  Miss  Eleanor  McCracken,  Miss  Carrie 
Belle  Quinn,  Mrs.  Wm.  H.  Richards,  Miss  Lena  Rowe,  Mrs. 
Edward  J.  Smith,  Mrs.  R.  Lee  Stoffregen,  Miss  Bertha  Strasburger, 
Miss  Sallie  Lyle  Tapscott,  Mrs.  W.  Seymour  White,  Miss  Nannie 
Gordon  Willis  and  Mrs.  Mary  Quinn  Hicks. 

The  presidential  party  was  met  at  Quantico  by  a  sub-committee 
consisting  of  Hon.  H.  F.  Crismond,  Hon.  A.  T.  Embrey,  Postmaster 


262  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

John  M.  Griffin,  Major  T.  E.  Morris,  James  A.  Turner  and  S.  I. 
Baggett,  Jr.,  and  escorted  to  Fredericksburg. 

At  half  past  ten  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  25th  of  May,  most 
of  the  members  of  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  having 
arrived,  the  procession  was  formed  at  the  courthouse,  the  society, 
under  command  of  Gen.  Horatio  C.  King,  secretary,  with  the  re- 
ception committee,  Confederate  veterans  and  citizens  generally, 
headed  by  Bower ing's  band,  proceeded  to  the  depot  to  meet  the 
presidential  train.  Col.  E.  D.  Cole,  chief  marshal,  with  his  aides, 
Capt.  Dan.  M.  Lee,  John  T.  Leavell,  A.  P.  Rowe,  Jr.,  and  W.  J. 
Jacobs,  with  a  cordon  of  mounted  police,  had  charge  of  the  line. 

At  the  depot  an  immense  crowd  of  people  had  collected,  and 
when  the  train  arrived  there  was  a  vociferous  greeting  to  the  Presi- 
dent and  cabinet  and  Fighting  (General)  Joe  Wheeler.  The 
presidential  party  consisted  of  President  McKinley,  his  private 
secretary,  Cortelyou,  Secretary  Hay,  Secretary  Root,  Attorney- 
General  Griggs,  Postmaster-General  Smith,  Secretary  Long,  Secre- 
tary Hitchcock — every  member  of  the  cabinet  except  Secretary 
Wilson — Gen.  Nelson  A.  Miles,  Commander-in-Chief  of  the  Army, 
his  aide,  Col.  Michler,  Lieut.  Robert  S.  Griffin,  secretary  to  Secre- 
tary Long,  Gen.  Henry  E.  Tremain,  Gen.  W.  J.  Sewell,  Gen.  J. 
W.  Hawley  and  Gen.  Joseph  Wheeler. 

Headed  by  the  celebrated  Marine  band,  of  Washington,  sixty 
strong,  the  line  of  march  from  the  depot  was  up  Main  street,  to 
George,  thence  to  Princess  Ann  and  thence  to  the  courthouse.  All 
along  the  march  the  streets  were  thronged  with  citizens  and  visitors, 
and  the  waving  of  handkerchiefs  and  cheering  kept  the  President 
constantly  bowing  to  the  right  and  left. 

When  the  courthouse  was  reached  the  presidential  party  filed  in, 
followed  by  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  visitors  and 
citizens.  The  courthouse  was  densely  packed  and  hundreds  were 
turned  away,  being  unable  to  get  even  standing  room. 


CHAPTEE  XVIII 

Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  Enters  Town,  continued. 

When  this  great  crowd  entered  the  courthouse,  after  making  such 
a  long  march  in  hot  weather,  most  of  them  were  willing  to  rest 
awhile  before  the  exercises  commenced.  Yet  Gen.  King  is  not  one 
to  rest  long  when  business  had  to  be  attended  to,  so  he  called  the 
large  assembly  to  order,  and  announced  that  illness  had  prevented 
the  attendance  of  Gen.  D.  McM.  Gregg,  president  of  the  society,  and 
in  his  absence  Gen.  Martin  T.  McMahon  would  preside  in  his  stead. 
Dr.  J.  S.  Dill,  pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  was  presented  and 
offered  a  most  earnest  prayer.  Mr.  St.  Geo.  E.  Fitzhugh,  who  had 
been  selected  by  the  committee  of  entertainment  to  extend  the 
welcome,  was  then  introduced  and  made  the  following  address : 

MR.  FITZHUGH'S  ADDRESS. 

Mr.  Chairman  :  It  is  with  feelings  of  profound  pride  and  un- 
feigned pleasure  that  our  entire  community  extends  a  cordial  and 
hearty  welcome  to  the  illustrious  Chief  Magistrate  of  our  country, 
who  honors  us  with  his  presence  to-day.  We  recognize  in  our 
President  the  pure  patriot  and  the  stainless  statesman,  whose  wise 
and  courageous  administration,  in  both  war  and  peace,  has  endeared 
him  to  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen  and  has  shed  new  lustre  upon 
the  exalted  office  which  he  fills. 

Our  people  also  welcome  with  much  pride  and  warmth  his  emi- 
nent official  family,  and  the  brilliant  commander  of  our  invincible 
army,  and  all  these  distinguished  men  before  me,  who  are  guests  of 
the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  and  of  our  city. 

And  now,  our  friends  of  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
I  find  it  difficult  to  command  adequate  words  with  which  to  express 
to  you  the  supreme  gratification  and  enthusiasm  of  our  people  at 
your  prompt  acceptance  of  their  invitation  to  hold  your  annual 
reunion  in  this  old  town  and  at  your  presence  here  to-day  in  such 
numbers. 

We  not  only  welcome  you  with  open  arms  and  glowing  hearts, 

[  263  ] 


264  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

but  we  feel  that  this  action  on  your  part  rises  to  the  dignity  of  an 
impressive  epoch  in  our  national  life;  and  we  are  not  surprised 
that  our  illustrious  President,  and  all  these  distinguished  men, 
should  desire  to  grace  this  inspiring  occasion  with  their  presence. 

It  is  the  first  time  that  your  society  has  held  one  of  its  annual 
reunions  on  southern  soil,  and,  in  making  this  new  departure,  it 
was  preeminently  fit  that  you  should  honor  Fredericksburg  with 
your  choice. 

A  French  philosopher  has  written,  "Happy  the  people  whose 
annals  are  tiresome,"  but  the  far  nobler  and  more  inspiring  thought 
of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race  is  that  "character  constitutes  the  true 
strength  of  nations  and  historic  glory  their  best  inheritance." 

As  American  citizens  you  are  proud  of  the  grand  traditions 
and  heroic  memories  that  crowd  your  country's  history;  and  no- 
where else  on  this  continent  could  your  feet  tread  on  ground  more 
hallowed  by  historic  memories  than  here. 

I  think  before  you  leave  us  you  will  acknowledge  that  if  the 
immortal  names  and  deeds  that  this  locality  suggests  should  be 
stricken  from  the  annals  of  time,  most  of  the  present  school  books 
of  our  country  would  be  valueless  and  our  national  history  itself 
would  be  as  the  play  of  Hamlet,  with  Hamlet  left  out. 

The  school  boys  and  girls  of  our  whole  country  are  familiar  with 
the  story  of  Capt.  John  Smith  and  Pocahontas,  and  history  records 
that  right  here  Captain  John  Smith  battled  with  and  repulsed  the 
Indians.  So  we  may  fairly  claim,  without  the  exercise  of  poetic 
license,  that  the  struggle  of  the  Anglo-Saxon  race,  to  establish  its 
civilization  and  supremacy  on  this  continent,  commenced  on  this 
spot  in  1608,  just  one  year  after  Jamestown  was  settled. 

If  we  should  draw  a  circle  around  this  ancient  city,  with  a  radius 
of  less  than  fifty  miles,  we  should  find  within  that  narrow  compass 
the  birthplace  of  George  Washington,  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  of 
James  Madison,  of  James  Monroe,  of  Zachary  Taylor,  of  Chief- 
Justice  John  Marshall,  of  the  Lees  of  the  Eevolution,  of  Patrick 
Henry,  of  Henry  Clay,  of  Matthew  Maury  and  of  Kobert  E.  Lee. 
If  we  should  extend  the  circle  but  a  very,  very  little,  it  would  also 
embrace  the  birthplace  of  William  Henry  Harrison,  of  John  Tyler, 


T*^- 


fl'iPiwr 


(Pfepjwted  thus  Ltf&$?pr, 


A  Tombstone  in  St.  George's  Churchyard,  remarkable 
for  its  date. 
(See  page  246) 


Confederate  Monument  in  Confederate  Cemetery. 
(See  page  189) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  265 

of  Winfield  Scott,  and  likewise  the  birthplace  of  this  Republic  at 
Yorktown. 

Is  there  any  other  similar  segment  of  space  on  the  habitable  globe 
so  resplendent  with  stars  of  the  first  magnitude ! 

Seven  Presidents  of  the  United  States  and  three  of  the  greatest 
military  leaders  of  modern  times  were  born  within  two  hours'  ride 
of  this  city,  estimated  according  to  the  most  improved  modern 
methods  of  travel ! 

That  meteoric  Mars  of  naval  warfare,  John  Paul  Jones,  lived  and 
kept  store  in  this  town,  and  went  from  here  to  take  command  of  a 
ship  of  our  colonial  navy.  He  was  the  first  man  who  ever  raised 
our  flag  upon  a  national  ship,  and  he  struck  terror  to  the  heart 
of  the  British  navy  by  his  marvellous  naval  exploits  during  the 
Revolution. 

It  was  right  here  that  Washington's  boyhood  and  youth  were 
spent,  and  that  he  was  trained  and  disciplined  for  his  transcendent 
career,  and  it  was  to  the  unpretending  home  of  his  mother,  still 
standing  here — which  you  will  visit — that  Washington  and  La- 
fayette came  when  the  war  closed,  to  lay  their  laurels  at  her  feet; 
and  her  ashes  repose  here,  under  a  beautiful  monument,  erected 
by  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 

But  there  are  other  memories  of  heroic  type,  suggested  by  this 
locality,  which  come  nearer  home  to  our  hearts,  whose  mournful 
splendor  time  cannot  pale  ! 

Here,  and  within  fifteen  miles  of  this  city,  in  Spotsylvania  county, 
more  great  armies  manoeuvred,  more  great  battles  were  fought, 
more  men  were  engaged  in  mortal  combat  and  more  officers  and 
privates  were  killed  and  wounded  than  in  any  similar  territory  in 
the  world.  More  men  fell  in  the  battles  of  this  one  small  county 
during  the  Civil  war  than  Great  Britain  has  lost  in  all  her  wars  of 
a  century;  and  more  men  were  killed  and  wounded  in  four  hours 
at  the  battle  of  Fredericksburg  than  Great  Britain  had  lost  in  killed, 
wounded  and  prisoners  in  her  eight  months'  war  in  South  Africa. 

When  the  fog  lifted  its  curtain  from  the  bleak  plains  about 
Fredericksburg  on  the  morning  of  December  13,  1862,  the  sun 
flashed  down  on  a  spectacle  of  terrible  moral  sublimity ! 


266  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

One  hundred  thousand  Union  veterans,  with  two  hundred  and 
twenty  cannon,  were  in  "battle's  magnificently  stern  array,"  and  in 
motion,  with  nothing  to  obscure  their  serried  ranks  from  the  view 
of  their  expectant  adversaries,  safely  entrenched  on  the  sloping 
hills  adjacent.  The  different  sub-divisions  of  this  great  army  were 
commanded  that  day  by  consummate  masters  of  the  art  of  war, 
whose  names  and  brilliant  exploits  now  illumine  the  pages  of  our 
national  history,  but  its  commander-in-chief  was  deficient  in  both 
strategic  and  tactical  ability,  and  his  most  conspicuous  merit  seemed 
to  be  his  perfect  faith  in  the  courage  and  invincibility  of  his  army. 

General  Burnside  did  not  overrate  the  magnificent  courage  and 
sublime  self-sacrifice  of  his  army,  whose  contempt  of  death  that  day 
on  the  open  plains  about  Fredericksburg  seemed  to  strike  the  elec- 
tric chain  wherewith  we  all  are  bound,  and  a  thrill  of  admiration 
swept  down  the  line  of  Lee's  army  for  four  miles  whilst  yet  the 
battle  raged;  but  General  Burnside  did  underrate  the  strength  of 
the  positions  which,  without  inspection  or  information,  he  rashly 
assailed,  and  he  did  underrate  the  valor  of  the  men  who  held  those 
positions.  The  appalling  magnitude  of  his  mistake  was  soon  ap- 
parent, alike  to  his  officers  and  his  men,  and  yet  column  after 
column  of  that  devoted  army  advanced,  without  a  halting  step,  to 
the  carnival  of  death,  over  a  plain  swept  by  the  ceaseless  and  terri- 
ble fire  of  protected  infantry  and  artillery — a  plain  of  which 
General  E.  P.  Alexander,  in  command  of  the  Confederate  artillery, 
posted  on  the  heights,  remarked  the  evening  before,  that  "not  a 
chicken  could  live  there  when  his  guns  were  opened." 

No  honors  awaited  the  daring  of  these  heroes  that  day;  no 
despatch  could  give  their  names  to  the  plaudits  of  their  admiring 
countrymen,  their  advance  was  uncheered  by  the  hope  of  emolument 
or  fame;  their  death  would  be  unnoticed,  and  yet  they  marched  to 
their  doom  with  unblanched  cheeks  and  unfaltering  tread. 

Pause  a  moment  and  picture  those  serried  ranks  as  they  marched 
undismayed  with  grim  precision  and  intrepid  step  to  certain  death, 
and,  very  many,  to  unknown  graves,  and  tell  me  whether  heroism 
did  not  have  its  holocaust,  and  patriotism  and  courage  their  grand 
coronation   on  these   plains  about   Fredericksburg;   and   tell   me 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  267 

whether  a  nation's  gratitude  and  meed  of  honor  to  these  unknelled, 
uncoffined  and  unknown  heroes,  who  thus  gave  up  their  lives  for 
their  country,  in  obedience  to  orders,  should  be  measured  by  the 
accident  of  victory  or  defeat,  or  by  the  unclouded  grandeur  of  the 
sacrifice  they  cheerfully  made.  Tell  me  whether  the  majestic 
memorial,  which  that  splendid  old  veteran,  General  Butterfield, 
proposes  to  erect  on  the  plains  of  Fredericksburg,  to  perpetuate  the 
fame  of  the  Fifth  corps,  will  not  commemorate  a  higher  type  of 
heroism  than  any  similar  memorial  to  that  corps  on  the  heights 
about  Gettysburg!  Tell  me  whether  there  was  not  more  courage 
and  more  manhood  required  to  assail  Marye's  Heights  than  to  hold 
Cemetery  Hill ! 

The  charge  of  Pickett's  Division  at  Gettysburg  was  far  grander, 
even  with  its  dreadful  recoil,  than  was  the  defence  of  the  stone 
wall  at  Fredericksburg;  and  the  heroes  of  the  former  deserve  more 
of  their  country  than  do  the  latter. 

Napoleon,  after  the  battle  of  Austerlitz,  addressing  his  army, 
said :  "Soldiers,  it  will  be  enough  for  one  of  you  to  say,  'I  was  at 
the  battle  of  Austerlitz/  for  your  countrymen  to  say,  'There  is  a 
brave  man.' " 

Impartial  history  will  record  that  the  Union  soldiers  who  fought 
at  Fredericksburg,  Chancellorsville,  the  Wilderness  and  at  Spotsyl- 
vania Courthouse  were  not  only  brave  men,  but  that  their  valor 
on  those  immortal  fields  decorated  the  Stars  and  Stripes  with 
imperishable  glory.  And  no  American  army  of  the  future,  com- 
posed of  those  who  wore  the  blue  and  the  gray,  or  their  descendants, 
will  ever  permit  that  glory  to  be  tarnished ! 

It  was  the  brilliant  prowess  of  the  Confederate  army  on  the  bat- 
tlefields of  Spotsylvania  that  shed  such  dazzling  lustre  on  the 
Union  arms  at  Gettysburg.  If  we  should  blot  out  the  battlefields 
of  Spotsylvania,  we  should  rob  Gettysburg  of  all  its  glory;  we 
should  filch  from  General  Grant  half  his  fame  as  a  great  com- 
mander, and  should  obscure  to  the  future  student  of  the  art  of  war 
Grant's  invincible  pertinacity  and  his  sagacious  and  successful 
policy  of  concentration  and  attrition,  which  alone  explains  and 
vindicates  his  famous  march  of  eighty  miles  from  Culpeper  Court- 


268  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

house  to  Petersburg,  with  a  loss  of  tens  of  thousands  of  his  brave 
troops,  when  he  might  have  transferred  his  army  by  transports  to 
the  shadow  of  the  Confederate  capital  without  the  loss  of  a  man. 

Grant  knew  that  the  destruction  of  Lee's  army,  and  not  the  cap- 
ture of  Richmond,  was  the  profoundest  strategy.  The  Army  of  the 
Potomac,  under  the  consummate  leadership  of  General  Grant,  won 
infinitely  more  prestige  at  Appomattox,  where  eight  thousand  worn- 
out  Confederates  laid  down  their  arms,  than  the  German  army, 
under  its  great  field-marshal,  Von  Moltke,  won  at  Sedan,  where  the 
French  Emperor,  Louis  Napoleon,  and  86,000  French  soldiers, 
neither  footsore  nor  hungry,  surrendered,  and  for  the  plain  reason 
that  no  such  conflicts  as  those  in  Spotsylvania  lay  across  the  march 
of  Von  Moltke  to  Sedan.  The  march  to  Appomattox  was  over  the 
battlefields  of  Spotsylvania,  and  Appomattox  was  only  the  culmi- 
nation of  the  courage  and  carnage  of  those  fields. 

It  was  the  conspicuous  characteristic  of  both  the  Union  and 
Confederate  armies  that  their  courage  was  alike  invincible;  defeat 
could  not  quench  it;  it  shone  with  additional  splendor  amid  the 
gloom  of  disaster,  and  no  soldier  on  either  side  need  blush  to  have 
borne  a  part  in  any  one  of  the  great  battles  of  the  Civil  war, 
whatever  fortune  may  have  decreed  as  to  its  temporary  result. 

It  is  noteworthy,  above  almost  any  other  events  of  history,  that 
the  two  most  memorable  and  momentous  struggles  in  which  the 
Anglo-Saxon  race  has  embarked,  both  closed  on  the  soil  of  Virginia, 
a  century  apart,  by  the  surrender  of  one  Anglo-Saxon  army  to  an 
army  of  the  same  race,  and  without  the  loss  of  prestige  on  either 
side. 

For  our  great  race,  when  vanquished  by  itself,  proudly  rears  its 
crest  unconquered  and  sublime ! 

One  of  those  memorable  struggles  closed  at  Yorktown,  where 
colonial  dependence  perished,  national  independence  was  secured 
and  our  great  republic  born.  The  other  closed  at  Appomattox, 
where  the  doctrine  of  secession  and  the  institution  of  slavery  per- 
ished and  a  more  perfect  union  than  our  fathers  made  was  estab- 
lished. 

Secession  and  slavery  perished  on  Virginia  soil,  and  her  people. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  269 

though  impoverished  by  the  loss  of  the  latter,  have  shed  no  tears 
over  the  grave  of  these  dead  issues;  but  they  love  and  cherish  the 
memory  of  the  Southern  heroes  whose  sacred  ashes  repose  in  her 
bosom,  and  they  proudly  spurn  any  suggestion  that  such  moral 
heroism  and  sublime  self-sacrifice  as  they  exhibited  could  be  born 
of  other  than  conscientious  conviction ! 

If  the  South  was,  by  a  wise  providence,  denied  in  that  grand  strug- 
gle the  honor  of  final  triumph,  her  people  to-day  share  equally  with 
the  victors  of  that  day  the  glorious  fruits  of  their  victory  in  a  more 
perfect  and  indissoluble  union  of  indestructible  States,  under  that 
superlative  symbol  of  a  world-power — the  glorious  Stars  and 
Stripes. 

All  through  this  splendid  address  Mr.  Fitzhugh  was  vociferously 
applauded,  the  President  and  his  cabinet  heartily  and  enthusias- 
tically joining  in  the  applause,  and  when  he  closed  the  demon- 
stration was  kept  up  for  several  minutes. 

Gov.  Tyler  was  then  introduced  and  welcomed  the  veterans  to 
Virginia,  and  assured  them  that  when  their  visit  to  Fredericksburg 
was  ended,  Eichmond,  the  Capital  of  the  Confederacy,  awaited  them 
with  extended  hands  and  outstretched  arms.  Gen.  McMahon  re- 
sponded in  a  short  address,  full  of  harmony  and  good  feeling,  and 
introduced   Gen.  Daniel   E.   Sickles,  the  orator  of  the  occasion. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  able  and  patriotic  address  of  Gen. 
Sickles,  the  presidential  party  and  Gen.  Sickles,  lunched  at  Mr. 
Fitzhugh's  and  the  society  and  visitors  were  provided  for  at  the 
Opera  House.  After  lunch  the  visitors  and  citizens  marched  to 
Mr.  Fitzhugh's  residence,  where  the  President  held  a  reception  and 
where  several  thousand  people  greeted  and  shook  him  by  the  hand. 

The  procession  then  formed  and  marched  to  the  National  ceme- 
tery, to  witness  the  laying  of  the  corner-stone  of  the  monument  to 
be  erected  by  Gen.  Daniel  Butterfield  to  the  memory  of  the  men  of 
the  Fifth  Army  Corps,  who  fell  in  the  several  battles  in  Fredericks- 
burg and  vicinity. 

The  Masonic  ceremonies  were  in  charge  of  Lodge  No.  4,  A.  F. 
and  A.  M.  In  accepting  the  invitation  to  preside  on  the  interesting 
occasion,  Gen.  Horatio  C.  King  said: 


270  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

I  deeply  appreciate  the  honor  of  being  asked  to  preside  on  this 
most  interesting  occasion,  and  in  presence  of  the  honored  Chief 
Magistrate  and  the  members  of  his  official  family.  I  recall  with 
pride  the  fact  that  I  first  saw  the  light  of  Masonry  in  the  Blue 
Lodge  at  Winchester,  in  this  magnificent  State,  in  1864,  when  I 
was  a  soldier  in  the  great  war,  and  that  from  that  day  to  this  I 
have  continued  in  good  standing  in  our  noble  order.  It  may  not 
be  amiss  for  me  to  add  that  he  who  honors  and  graces  this  occasion 
to-day  by  his  presence,  our  President,  was  also  initiated  at  or  about 
the  same  time  in  the  same  lodge,  and  that  he  has  also  held  fast  to 
the  tenets  of  the  organization  through  his  lodge  at  his  home  in 
Ohio. 

It  is  most  fitting  that  this  dedication  should  be  made  by  this 
time-honored  Fredericksburg  Lodge,  whose  history  antedates  the 
Revolution  and  in  whose  precincts  the  Father  of  his  Country  was 
enrolled. 

The  occasion  is  one  to  inspire  every  patriot,  and  the  generosity 
of  Gen.  Butterfield,  in  raising  this  memorial  to  the  fallen  com- 
rades whom  he  so  gallantly  commanded,  will  shine  through  ages 
to  come  on  the  pages  of  American  history. 

MASONIC    CEREMONIES. 

The  ceremonies  were  then  conducted  by  the  Masonic  Lodge,  the 
following  officers,  members  and  visitors  being  present  and  taking 
part: 

Alvin  T.  Embrey,  senior  warden,  acting  worshipful  master; 
Right  Worshipful  James  P.  Corbin,  senior  warden  pro  tern;  Wm. 
H.  Hurkamp,  junior  warden;  Edgar  M.  Young,  Jr.,  treasurer; 
Right  Worshipful  Silvanus  J.  Quinn,  secretary;  Maurice  Hirsh, 
senior  deacon;  Allan  Randolph  Howard,  junior  deacon;  Rev. 
James  Polk  Stump,  chaplain,  and  John  S.  Taliaferro,  tiler;  Wor- 
shipful Brothers  Albert  B.  Botts,  James  T.  Lowery,  Thomas  N. 
Brent,  Isaac  Hirsh. 

Members:  Joe  M.  Goldsmith,  John  Scott  Berry,  John  R.  Ber- 
nard, John  C.  Melville,  Robert  A.  Johnson,  0.  L.  Harris,  James 
Roach,  George  A.  Walker,  A.  Mason  Garner,  Wm.  T.  Dix,  Wm. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  271 

Bernard,  H.  Hoomes  Johnston,  Charles  L.  Kalmbach,  Edgar 
Mersereau,  Adolph  Loewenson,  George  W.  Wroten,  Joseph  H. 
Davis,  J.  Shirver  Woods,  Edwin  J.  Cartright  and  Maurice  B. 
Eowe. 

Visiting  Masons:  Most  Worshipful  J.  Howard  Wayt,  P.  G.  M, 
Staunton,  Va.;  Wm.  D.  Carter,  102,  Va.;  W.  J.  Ford,  163,  Ky.; 
W.  C.  Stump,  5,  D.  C. ;  B.  P.  Owens,  14,  Va.,  and  Dr.  J.  W.  Bovee, 
of  B.  B.  French,  D.  C. 

The  handsome  silver  trowel  used  in  laying  the  corner-stone,  was 
made  by  order  of  Gen.  Butterfield  for  that  occasion  and  then  to  be 
presented  to  the  Masonic  Lodge  performing  the  service.  After  the 
service  of  laying  the  corner-stone,  Gen.  Edward  Hill,  who  spoke  for 
Gen.  Butterfield,  in  an  able  address,  presented  the  monument  to  the 
Secretary  of  War  to  be  kept,  cared  for  and  preserved  by  him  and  his 
successors  in  office,  to  which  Secretary  Eoot  responded  in  a  brief 
and  appropriate  speech,  accepting  the  monument  and  promising  to 
preserve  it  as  requested. 

CAMP   FIRE   AT   OPERA   HOUSE. 

At  8  o'clock  in  the  evening  a  "camp  fire"  was  held  at  the  Opera 
House,  which  was  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity.  Short  addresses 
were  made  by  Gen.  McMahon,  Gen.  Hawley,  Gen.  Miles,  Gen. 
Sewell,  Gen.  Tremain,  Gen.  Geo.  D.  Euggles,  Capt.  Patrick,  Gen. 
Sickles,  and  a  letter  was  read  from  Gen.  Shaw,  all  of  whom  were 
on  the  Union  side.  The  Confederate  veterans  were  represented  by 
Gen.  Joseph  Wheeler  and  Private  John  T.  Goolrick. 

When  Gen.  Wheeler  was  introduced,  Gen.  Hawley,  who  had 
already  spoken,  interrupted  with  "Just  a  moment.  Something 
occurs  to  me.  Among  the  extraordinary  things  that  are  happening 
in  the  world,  this  is  especially  interesting  to  me.  I  find,  on  look- 
ing over  the  records,  that  Moses  Wheeler,  more  than  250  years 
ago,  married  the  sister  of  Joseph  Hawley  in  Connecticut.  Now, 
General,  go  on." 

This  produced  great  laughter,  in  which  Gen.  Hawley  joined  with 
much  zest. 


272  History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia 

JUDGE   GOOLRICK'S  ADDRESS. 

Judge  Goolrick,  who  was  introduced  as  the  representative  of  the 
Confederate  veterans,  and  especially  the  private  soldier,  of  whom 
there  are  so  few  at  this  time,  spoke  as  follows: 

Comrades,  Ladies  and  Gentlemen — With  sincere  sentiments 
of  good  will,  commingled  with  a  sense  of  gratitude,  I  welcome  you 
within  the  gates  of  our  city,  and  no  man  has  a  better  right  to  bid 
you  come  than  myself — for,  just  after  the  surrender  at  Appomattox, 
I  was  sitting  on  the  roadside,  weary  and  worn,  foot-sore  and  hun- 
gry, with  an  intense  solicitude  for  a  change  of  my  bill  of  fare  from 
parched  corn,  upon  which  I  had  luxuriated  for  about  three  days, 
when  a  kind-hearted  private  soldier  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac, 
seeing  my  dejected  and  depressed  appearance,  came  to  me  with 
words  of  cheer,  comfort  and  kindness,  and,  putting  his  hand  down 
into  his  not  overstocked  haversack,  gave  me  all  his  rations  of  hard- 
tack and  bacon,  and  immediately  the  gloom  of  defeat  ceased  to  be 
so  oppressive,  and  the  intense  hunger,  under  which  I  had  labored, 
also  ceased.  This  act  of  good  fellowship,  under  the  conditions 
which  confronted  me,  at  once  inspired  a  fraternal  feeling  for  my 
enemy.  So  you  see,  Mr.  Chairman,  I  have  a  real  right  to  be  glad 
to  see  here  to-day  the  representatives  of  that  army  of  which  my 
benefactor  was  a  member,  and  bid  you  be  of  good  cheer  while  you 
pitch  your  tents  once  again  on  the  old  camp  ground. 

You  are  now  on  a  spot  which  is  consecrated  in  the  hearts  of  the 
soldiers  from  the  North  and  the  South.  Within  the  sound  of 
my  voice  Meagher's  Irish  Brigade  immortalized  itself  by  a  charge 
into  the  jaws  of  death,  a  charge  in  which  the  Irishman  expressed 
his  loyalty  to  the  land  of  his  adoption,  and  gave  evidence  of  that 
inborn  bravery  which  has  made  his  name  illustrious  all  over  the 
world. 

Within  this  county — at  Chancellorsville — the  soldiers  of  the 
South  conquered  in  a  battle  where  death  pulsated  the  very  air, 
which  was  won  by  unparalleled  bravery  and  matchless  strategy, 
though  it  cost  the  life  of  the  southland's  idolized  Stonewall  Jack- 
son, the  very  genius  of  the  war.     Here  the  two  master  military 


St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church. 
(See  page  214) 


Shiloh  Baptist  Church,  Old  Site  (colored.) 
(See  page  215) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  273 

leaders  met  for  the  first  time  at  the  Wilderness,  where  was  com- 
menced the  march  by  parallel  columns,  which  culminated  in  the 
surrender  of  the  Army  of  Northern  Virginia,  by  our  grand  old  com- 
mander, Lee,  to  the  great  and  magnanimous  Grant. 

On  these  fields  Americanism,  in  its  highest  and  holiest  sense, 
was  illustrated  and  illuminated.  Here  a  colossal  column  of  men 
marched  to  death,  testifying  thereby  the  very  highest  expression 
of  patriotism — love  of  country.  For  greater  love  hath  no  man 
that  this,  that  he  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends.  It  is  to  this 
spot  you  have  come — a  place  which  is,  and  should  be,  the  mecca  of 
all  lovers  of  patriotism,  self-sacrifice  and  lofty  devotion  to  duty. 
And  these  have  not  been  lost,  and  will  not  be,  for  as  the  blood  of 
the  martyrs  was  the  seed  and  the  seal  of  the  church,  so  the  blood 
and  the  bravery  of  the  soldiers  of  the  North  and  the  South  have 
already  cemented  this  Eepublic  in  a  closer  union. 

There  has  been  a  good  deal  said  here,  sir,  to-day  about  peace. 
He  who  fought  ceased  warfare  when  the  war  ended.  'Tis  true  it 
was  waged  with  great  energy  by  warriors.  After  Lee  told  his  boys 
to  go  home,  and  Grant  said,  "Let  us  have  peace,"  these  warriors, 
after  the  war,  were  like  that  chaplain  in  Early's  army,  who  was 
seen  going  to  the  rear,  while  the  battle  was  raging  in  front,.  Early 
met  him  and  asked  him  where  he  was  going.  "To  the  rear — to  the 
hospital  department,"  said  he.  "Why  not  stay  in  the  front  ?"  said 
old  Jubal,  "for  I  have  heard  you  urging  my  men  for  the  last  six 
months  to  prepare  to  go  to  heaven,  and  now  you  have  an  oppor- 
tunity to  go  to  heaven  yourself,  and  you  are  dodging  to  the  rear." 
These  men  who  want  war  and  talk  war  now  had  the  opportunity 
to  take  part,  but  most  of  them  did  not  feel  so  inclined  when  the 
battle  raged  fast  and  furious. 

I  suppose,  sir,  however,  I  was  called  to  talk  to-night  because  I 
am  rather  an  unique  and  curious  living  specimen  of  a  soldier,  for 
I  was  a  private,  and  there  are  few  now  living.  It  is  said  just 
before  the  surrender  a  poor  old  soldier  laid  down  to  sleep,  and  he 
slept  a  la  Rip  Van  Winkle,  for  twenty  years.  Awaking  up  he 
rubbed  his  eyes;  looking  around,  he  called  a  man  walking  on  the 
road-side  to  him.  "Where,"  said  the  soldier,  "is  old  Marse  Bob 
18 


274  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Lee  and  his  army  ?"  "General  Lee,"  replied  the  man ;  why,  he  has 
been  dead  many  years;  he  surrendered  his  army  and  then  died." 
"Ah!"  said  the  private;  "ah,  then  where  are  all  the  generals?" 
"They,"  replied  the  man,  "have  been  sent  to  Congress."  "And 
what  has  become  of  the  colonels?"  "Why,  they  have  been  elected 
to  the  Legislature."  "What  about  the  majors,  captains  and  lieu- 
tenants?" "They  have  been  made  sheriffs  and  clerks  and  treas- 
urers." "Where,  then,  tell  me,  where  in  the  world  have  the  pri- 
vates gone?"  "The  privates!"  answered  the  man;  "why,  they  are 
all  dead."  And  the  old  soldier  rolled  his  eyes  back  and  fell  asleep 
again.  If  he  were  to  awake  again  to-day  his  eyes  would  be  glad- 
dened and  his  heart  made  happy  by  monuments  erected  in  Vir- 
ginia's capital  city,  and  elsewhere,  to  emphasize  the  love  and  rever- 
ence with  which  the  memory  of  the  brave  private  soldiers  are  held 
by  a  grateful  people. 

Sir,  far  be  it  from  me  to  hold  in  slight  estimation  or  little 
esteem,  the  illustrious  commanders.  I  am  proud  of  the  grand  and 
glorious  leadership  of  my  great  captains,  Lee  and  Jackson,  and  I 
willingly  pay  a  tribute  to  the  greatness  of  Grant  and  to  the  memory 
of  Hancock,  "the  superb,"  and  the  splendid  Meade.  I  would 
not,  if  I  could,  attempt  to  dim  the  lustre  of  their  names  or  throw 
any  shadow  over  the  brightness  of  their  deeds. 

I  was  an  humble  private  soldier  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  I 
am  proud  here  to  proclaim  that  I  was  a  follower  of  the  peerless  and 
illustrious  Lee,  but  I  stand  here  to  pay  my  loving  tribute  to  the 
private  soldier  of  both  armies.  His  splendid  achievements,  grand 
heroism,  unfaltering  loyalty  and  unflinching  bravery,  have  no 
parallel  in  all  time.  He  knew  that  if  in  the  forefront  of  the  fight 
he  were  shot  down  that  then  his  name  would  not  be  written  on  the 
scroll  of  fame,  his  uncoffined  body  would  find  sepulture  in  a  name- 
less grave,  and  that  he  would  have  for  an  epitaph,  "unknown!" 
Only  a  private  shot;  and  thus  the  story  of  his  daring  and  dying 
would  be  told. 

But,  knowing  all  this,  he  failed  not  nor  faltered.  He  was  in- 
spired by  the  very  holiest  and  highest,  because  of  an  absolutely 
unselfish  sense  of  duty.     He  was  moved  by  a  purpose  to  serve  his 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  275 

country  and  its  cause.  He  marched,  battled  and  bivouacked  because 
his  determination  to  do,  dare  and  die,  if  needs  be,  for  the  flag  under 
which  he  served.  Whether  under  the  sultry  sun  of  summer  or 
amidst  the  sleet  and  snow  of  winter,  he  stood,  unmoved  from  his 
unalterable  resolve.  Njo  grander,  no  more  beautiful,  no  more 
splendid  expression  of  the  very  highest  type  of  manhood  could  be 
found  than  was  found  in  the  life  of  the  private  soldier  of  both  or 
either  army;  and  when  the  war  ended,  with  them  verily  it  ended, 
and  they  all  joined  hands  in  a  fraternity  of  comradeship  which  was 
well  exhibited  by  that  private  soldier  of  your  army  who  ministered 
to  my  necessities  and  cheered  me  in  my  sadness  as  I  sat  under  the 
very  shadow  of  defeat  and  amidst  the  gloom  of  surrender  at  Appo- 
mattox. 

And  members  of  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  tc* 
which  that  private  belonged,  and  to  which  we  of  the  Army  of 
Northern  Virginia  surrendered,  I  meet  and  greet  you  on  your  first 
reunion  south  of  the  river  whose  name  you  bear.  We  of  the  South 
will  ever  cherish,  ever  pay  the  homage  of  our  hearts'  best  devotion 
to  the  memory  of  our  great  cause  and  its  champions,  we  will  ever 
keep  them  hallowed  and  sacred,  but  with  us  the  war  is  over.  We 
pay  allegiance  and  bear  full  fealty  to  this  great  Eepublic  of  ours, 
and  the  men  and  the  sons  of  the  men  who  followed  Lee  and  Jack- 
son stand  ready  with  you  to  defend,  always  and  everywhere,  the 
honor,  the  integrity  and  the  interest  of  this  fair  land  of  ours  against 
all  foes,  whether  from  within  or  without  its  borders. 

We  worship  at  the  same  shrine  of  liberty.  There  is  only  one  flag 
now.  It  is  our  flag  and  yours.  Under  its  shadow  we  stand  with 
the  men  of  your  army.  And  now,  to-night,  at  this  reunion,  in  this 
presence,  let  me  urge,  as  the  shibboleth,  the  motto  of  both  armies, 
to  be  our  inspiration  in  peace,  our  rallying  cry,  if  needs  be,  in  war, 
this:  "Whom  God  hath  joined  together  let  no  party,  no  people 
and  no  power  put  asunder." 

Judge  Goolrick  was  heartily  applauded  during  the  delivery  of  his 
address,  and  at  its  close  the  cheering  was  loud  and  prolonged. 

There  was  no  business  session  of  the  society  the  next  day  and 
very  many  of  the  Union  veterans  visited  the  various  battlefields. 


276  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

The  most  of  the  society  and  visitors  went  to  Richmond  on  an 
excursion  tendered  the  society  by  Lee  Camp,  where  they  were  met 
and  entertained  by  the  Confederate  veterans  of  that  hospitable  city. 

Addresses  were  made  on  that  occasion  by  Judge  D.  C.  Richardson, 
Mayor  Richard  M.  Taylor,  Gov.  Chas.  T.  O'Ferrall  and  Attorney- 
General  A.  J.  Montague,  of  Richmond,  and  Gen.  Horatio  C.  King, 
of  New  York,  and  Gen.  Geo.  D.  Ruggles,  of  Washington. 

On  the  return  of  the  excursionists  from  Richmond  a  reception  and 
lunch  were  tendered  them  at  the  Opera  House,  where  they  were  met 
by  a  large  number  of  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  town,  and  a 
most  enjoyable  evening  was  spent.  Gen.  King,  secretary  of  the 
society,  in  a  brief  address,  acknowledged  the  cordial  welcome  and 
unbounded  hospitality  they  had  met  with  in  our  town  and  the 
homes  of  our  citizens,  extended  the  hearty  thanks  of  the  society 
to  the  officials  and  citizens  and  stated  that  the  reception  was  even 
warmer  and  more  cordial  than  they  had  ever  before  met  with. 

RESOLUTIONS  OF  THANKS  ADOPTED. 

At  the  business  meeting  of  the  society  on  the  first  evening  the 
following  preamble  and  resolution,  after  very  complimentary  re- 
marks of  the  town  and  people,  by  many  of  the  visitors,  were  en- 
thusiastically adopted : 

The  reunion  of  the 'Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  at  Fred- 
ericksburg is  of  peculiar  significance,  and  the  generous  sentiment 
which  prompted  the  invitation,  meets  with  a  hearty  response  from 
every  patriotic  soldier  of  that  great  army.  Every  animosity  en- 
gendered by  the  conflict  is  here  buried  with  the  more  than  one 
hundred  and  twenty  thousand  gallant  men  who  shed  their  blood  and 
sacrificed  their  lives  in  their  heroic  devotion  to  conviction  and  to 
duty.  The  work  done  here  is  an  imperishable  record  of  the  unsur- 
passed courage  and  bravery  of  the  American  soldier:  therefore 
be  it — 

Resolved,  That  we  tender  to  the  civic  authorities  and  citizens  of 
Fredericksburg,  and  especially  to  the  efficient  local  executive  com- 
mittee and  Mr.  St.  Geo.  R.  Fitzhugh,  our  most  hearty  thanks  for  a 
welcome  that  sustains,  in  the  highest,  the  fame  of  Virginia  hospi- 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  277 

tality.  The  generous  and  unstinted  courtesies  of  all  will  render 
this  reunion  forever  memorable,  and  the  most  pleasurable  emotion 
will  always  arise  whenever  the  name  of  Fredericksburg  is  men- 
tioned. 

As  a  fitting  sequel  of  this  distinguished  gathering  and  the  grand 
reception  on  the  part  of  the  town  and  citizens,  a  letter,  written 
by  Gen.  Horatio  C.  King,  twenty-five  years  secretary  of  the  society, 
en  route  to  his  home,  in  Brooklyn,  N".  Y.,  is  inserted : 

Captain  S.  J.  Quinn,  Secretary  Army  of  the  Potomac  Committee: 

My  Dear  Captain — The  generous  efforts  of  your  citizens  to  kill 
us  with  kindness  were  well  nigh  successful,  but  happily  we  survive 
to  tell  the  tale  of  the  most  unique  and  unsurpassed  reunion  in  the 
history  of  the  Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac. 

Our  first  meeting  on  the  soil  of  the  South  cannot  fail  to  have  a 
most  happy  effect  upon  the  comparatively  few — mainly  born  since 
the  great  conflict — who  do  not  realize  that  the  war  ended  in  1865. 

The  sentiments  expressed  by  your  orators,  Mr.  Fitzhugh,  your 
honored  Governor  Tyler  and  Judge  Goolrick,  and  by  Mayor  Taylor, 
ex-Governor  O'Ferrall  and  Attorney- General  Montague,  in  Rich- 
mond, should  be  printed  in  letters  of  gold  and  circulated  all  over 
the  nation.  Purer  or  more  exalted  patriotism  has  never  been  ex- 
pressed. 

To  the  thanks  already  extended  I  desire  to  add  my  personal  obli- 
gations for  the  untiring  energy,  zeal  and  efficiency  of  your  local 
committee,  which  have  made  my  duties  comparatively  light  and 
most  enjoyable;  and  I  desire  to  make  my  acknowledgments  es- 
pecially to  you  and  Brother  Corbin  for  the  promptness  of  your 
correspondence  and  unremitting  attention. 

I  am  afraid  I  but  feebly  conveyed  to  the  audience  last  evening 
the  warm  appreciation  of  the  superabundant  and  delightful  lunch 
so  gracefully  provided  by  your  people  and  so  charmingly  distri- 
buted by  your  ladies. 

Indeed,  I  cannot  find  words  to  express  our  gratitude  for  a  recep- 
tion so  complete  as  not  to  have  elicited  a  single  complaint  or  criti- 
cism. We  can  never  forget  it  or  the  good  people  who  carried  the 
reunion  to  unqualified  success. 


278  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

ASSASSINATION    OF   PRESIDENT   M'KINLEY. 

Visiting  Fredericksburg  in  May,  to  attend  the  meeting  of  the 
Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac,  and  take  part  in  laying  the 
corner-stone  of  the  Butterfield  monument,  where  he  received  the 
most  marked  demonstrations  of  the  love  and  loyalty  of  his  people, 
without  regard  to  party  politics,  President  McKinley  returned  to 
our  beautiful  capital  with  a  grateful  heart  and  a  determination  to 
show  himself  President  of  the  entire  country,  dispensing  justice  to 
all  alike.  He  was  proud  of  his  country  and  rejoiced  in  its  unpar- 
alleled prosperity.  In  September,  1901,  he  visited  the  exposition  at 
Buffalo,  N".  Y.,  where,  while  holding  a  reception  on  the  6th  of  Sep- 
tember, he  was  assassinated  in  the  midst  of  the  thousands  who 
surrounded  him.  The  sad  news  was  flashed  by  wire  throughout 
our  land  and  the  eivilized  world,  and  was  received  everywhere 
with  unaffected  sorrow. 

Our  City  Council  was  assembled  upon  the  sorrowful  intelligence, 
and  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  adopted,  and 
telegraphed  Mrs.  McKinley,  which  were  the  first  adopted  and 
received  by  her  from  any  quarter : 

"Whereas,  we  have  heard,  with  great  sorrow  and  indignation,  of 
an  attempt  to  assassinate  his  excellency,  Wm.  McKinley,  President 
of  the  United  States,  at  Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  this  afternoon ;  and,  where- 
as, we  rejoice  to  learn  by  the  latest  telegram  that  his  physicians 
express  the  firm  belief  he  will  survive  the  wounds  inflicted,  there- 
fore— 

Resolved,  by  the  Mayor  and  Common  Council  of  the  city  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, Virginia,  that  we  condemn,  in  the  strongest  language  we 
can  command,  this  dastardly  and  wicked  act,  and  call  upon  the 
authorities  to  punish  the  would-be  assassin  to  the  full  extent  of  the 
law. 

2nd,  That  we  tender  our  profoundest  sympathy  to  Mrs.  McKin- 
ley in  her  great  affliction  and  earnestly  pray  that  a  kind  and  all- 
wise  Heavenly  Father  may  restore  her  devoted  husband  and  our 
much  loved  Chief  Magistrate  to  perfect  health,  to  her  and  this 
united  and  happy  country. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  279 

3rd,  That  our  worthy  Mayor  be  requested  to  communicate  by  wire 
this  action  of  the  Council  to  Mrs.  McKinley." 

Notwithstanding  the  best  medical  skill  was  employed  to  remain 
with  the  stricken  President  day  and  night,  who  endeavored  to 
locate  and  extract  the  pistol  ball,  and  the  prayers  of  the  nation, 
he  calmly  passed  away  on  the  14th  of  September,  eight  days  after 
the  assassin's  deadly  work.  The  monster  murderer  was  an  anar- 
chist from  Ohio,  who  was  condemned  before  the  courts  for  his 
wicked  act  and  paid  the  extreme  penalty  of  the  law. 

As  the  news  of  the  President's  death  was  sent  to  the  world  with 
electric  speed,  and  announced  in  Fredericksburg,  the  City  Council 
was  immediately  assembled  again  and  the  following  action  taken: 

"The  Mayor  and  Common  Council  of  the  city  of  Fredericksburg 
desire  to  unite  with  all  the  world  in  paying  tribute  to  the  memory 
of  President  McKinley,  as  a  patriot  American,  a  pure  citizen,  a 
fearless  Executive  and  a  Christian  gentleman. 

It  is  with  pride  and  pleasure  that  we  recall  his  recent  visit  to 
our  city  and  his  expressions  of  gratification  at  being  with  us,  and 
this  tribute  to  his  memory  is  to  testify  and  further  emphasize  our 
sincere  sorrow  at  his  death.     It  is  therefore — 

Resolved,  That  the  public  buildings  of  this  city  be  draped  in 
mourning  for  thirty  days;  that  during  the  hour  of  the  funeral 
service  that  the  bells  of  the  city  be  tolled,  and  that  a  committee  of 
three  members  of  the  Council  be  appointed  by  the  Mayor  to  confer 
with  the  ministers  of  our  churches  in  order  to  arrange  a  memorial 
meeting  of  our  citizens,  and  that  these  resolutions  be  spread  upon 
the  records  of  this  council. 

Resolved,  That  a  copy  of  these  resolutions,  with  our  expressions 
of  sympathy  in  this  hour  of  her  great  bereavement,  be  forwarded 
to  Mrs.  McKinley,  widow  of  our  distinguished  President,  signed  by 
the  Mayor,  and  attested  by  the  clerk,  under  the  seal  of  this  city. 

This  action  of  the  Council  was  one  of  the  few  that  Mrs.  McKinley 
personally  responded  to.  To  it  she  promptly  replied,  evincing  her 
grateful  appreciation,  with  the  tenderest  expressions,  for  the  sym- 
pathy tendered  to  her  in  her  great  sorrow.  The  memorial  services 
were  held  in  St.  George's  church,  the  day  of  the  funeral,  conducted 
by  the  city  pastors,  Dr.  T.  S.  Dunaway,  delivering  the  address. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Dr.  Walker's  Exploration — Bacon's  Rebellion,  so-called — The 
Fredericksburg  Declaration — The  Great  Orator — Resolutions 
of  Separation  from  Great  Britain — Virginia  Bill  of  Rights,  &c. 

It  has  been  said,  probably  by  the  facetious  or  perhaps  by  the  en- 
vious— for  such  are  to  be  found  in  all  communities — that  Vir- 
ginians are  noted  for  their  bragging — that  find  them  where  you 
may,  at  home  surrounded  by  friends  and  companions,  or  abroad 
among  strangers  and  aliens — bragging  is  their  distinguishing  char- 
acteristic. It  is  not  probably  known  whether  this  charge  has  ever 
been  investigated  and  passed  upon  by  any  competent  authority, 
but  if  it  has  been,  $nd  the  charge  was  pronounced  true — or  if  the 
truth  of  the  charge  were  admitted  by  the  parties  themselves,  they 
can  plead  justification,  and  should  be  readily  excused  upon  the 
ground  that  they  really  have  something  to  boast  of  in  the  patrio- 
tism, endurance,  sacrifices  and  achievements  of  a  glorious  ancestry. 
If  the  people  of  other  parts  of  the  country  have  whereof  to  boast, 
Virginians  have  more,  and  those  in  that  part  of  Virginia  in  which 
Fredericksburg  is  located  may  well  take  the  lead. 

In  this  and  the  two  succeeding  chapters  we  propose  to  show  what 
has  been  accomplished  for  this  great  country  by  the  sons  of  Vir- 
ginia, who  have  lived  in  Fredericksburg  and  within  a  radius  of 
sixty  or  seventy-five  miles  of  Fredericksburg,  and  show  that  in  the 
extension  of  the  borders  of  our  infantile  country,  in  protecting  the 
settlers  from  the  ravages  of  the  brutal  savages,  in  agitating,  foster- 
ing and  demanding  the  rights  of  the  people,  in  opposing  and  resist- 
ing the  unjust  laws  and  oppressions,  usurpations  and  unreasonable 
exactions  of  sordid  and  wicked  rulers,  in  the  separation,  by  solemn 
resolutions  and  declarations  of  this  country  from  Great  Britain, 
in  uniting  and  defending  the  colonies  and  in  achieving  the  inde- 
pendence of  the  country,  in  forming  and  administering  the  govern- 
ment, in  numbering  it  with  the  family  of  the  nations  of  the  earth, 
and  placing  it  upon  the  high  road  to  prosperity  and  national  great- 
ness, Virginians  were  ever  in  the  van,  and  others  followed  their 

[  280  ] 


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(See  page  10."») 


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Tombstone  marking  grave  of  William  Paul,  brother  of  Commodore 
John  Paul  Jones,  in  St.  George's  burial  ground. 
(See  page  28T) 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  281 

leadership  and  reaped  the  rich  fruits  of  their  splendid  achievements 
and  their  glorious  victories.  And  this  we  do,  not  in  any  spirit  of 
vanity,  but  that  there  may  be  grouped  together  and  brought  to 
public  attention,  in  permanent  form,  historical  facts,  if  known 
to  the  public,  long  forgotten  and  unappreciated,  that  Fredericks- 
burg may  be  placed,  where  it  rightly  belongs,  as  the  most  historical 
spot  in  the  most  historical  State  in  this  great  nation,  that  will  soon, 
if  it  does  not  now,  dominate  the  nations  of  the  earth  and  fully  jus- 
tify her  sons  in  recounting  their  deeds,  if  it  shall  be  termed  brag- 
ging- 

DR.  WALKER'S  EXPLORATION. 

It  was  Dr.  Thomas  Walker,  of  Albemarle  county,  a  Virginian, 
who,  with  five  companions,  in  1750,  explored  the  wild  country, 
which  now  forms  the  States  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky,  and 
named  that  chain  of  mountains  and  the  beautiful  river  that  flows 
through  the  valley,  Cumberland,  in  honor  of  the  Duke  of  Cumber- 
land, and  then  crossed  over  the  country  to  the  head  waters  of  the 
Kentucky  river  and  gave  it  its  name,  which  furnished  a  name  for 
that  great  and  prosperous  State. 

BACON    RESISTS    OPPRESSION. 

It  was  Nathaniel  Bacon,  of  Henrico  county,  a  Virginian,  who  first 
offered  resistance  to  the  colonial  authorities  in  defence  of  the  lives, 
liberties  and  property  of  the  people  and  put  forth  a  declaration  of 
principles,  which  were  the  guiding  star  for  those  who  came  after 
him  until  independence  was  achieved,  with  all  of  its  blessings  and 
glorious  fruits. 

In  his  United  States  History  Dr.  Howison  says :  "In  the  great 
declaration  adopted  by  them  in  1776,  just  one  hundred  years  after 
the  movements  under  Bacon,  we  find  embedded  not  less  than  five 
principles  among  the  most  weighty  and  potent  that  justified  the 
overthrow  of  the  English  rule,  all  five  of  which  were  in  active  move- 
ment to  produce  the  uprising  of  the  Virginia  people  in  1676. 
These  five  principles  were : 

1.  The  right  to  civil  and  religious  liberty — life,  liberty  and  the 
pursuit  of  happiness' ; 


282  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

2.  The  right  to  throw  off  a  government  which  had  'cut  off  their 
trade  from  all  parts  of  the  world* ; 

3.  Which  had  'imposed  taxes  on  them  without  their  consent' ; 

4.  Which  had  'taken  away  their  charters,  abolished  their  most 
valuable  laws  and  altered  fundamentally  the  powers  of  their  govern- 
ment' ; 

5.  Which  had  'excited  domestic  insurrections  among  them  and 
had  endeavored  to  bring  on  the  inhabitants  of  their  frontiers  the 
merciless  Indian  savages,  whose  known  rule  of  warfare  is  an  undis- 
tinguished destruction  of  all  ages,  sexes  and  conditions.' " 

Mrs.  An.  Cotton,  who  wrote  an  account  of  this  Bacon  movement 
the  year  it  occurred,  and  who  did  not  fully  endorse  all  that  Bacon 
did,  states  that  a  large  council  was  held  on  Bacon's  premises  in 
May,  at  which  Bacon  charged  that  the  authorities  were  guilty  of 
wrong  in  their  eagerness  to  get  rich;  that  some  persons  were  rich 
who  were  guilty  of  unjust  methods  in  obtaining  their  wealth ;  that 
the  authorities  were  doing  nothing  to  encourage  the  arts,  sciences, 
schools  of  learning  or  manufactories;  that  the  Governor  approves 
the  lawlessness  of  the  Indians  against  the  settlers,  and  declines  to 
interfere  because  it  might  diminish  his  revenue  in  trading  with 
them;  that  the  Governor  refuses  to  admit  an  Englishman's  oath 
against  an  Indian,  where  he  accepts  the  bare  word  of  an  Indian 
against  an  Englishman;  that  the  Governor  is  monopolizing  the 
beaver  trade  in  violation  of  law;  that  the  traders  at  the  heads  of 
the  rivers,  being  the  Governor's  agents,  buy  and  sell  the  blood  of 
their  brethren  and  countrymen  by  furnishing  the  Indians  with 
powder,  shot  and  firearms  contrary  to  the  laws  of  the  colony;  and 
that  Col.  Cowells  asserted  that  the  English  were  bound  to  protect 
the  Indians,  even  if  they  had  to  shed  their  own  blood. 

At  the  conclusion  of  Bacon's  address  the  Council  agreed  to  three 
things:  1.  To  aid  with  their  lives  and  estates  General  Bacon  in 
the  Indian  war.  2.  To  oppose  the  Governor's  designs,  if  he  had 
any,  against  the  prosecution  of  the  war.  3.  To  protect  the  General, 
the  army  and  all  who  agreed  to  the  arrangement  against  any  power 
that  should  be  sent  out  of  England,  until  it  was  granted  that  the 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  283 

country's  complaint  might  be  heard  against  the  Governor  before  the 
King  and  Parliament. 

The  premature  death  of  Bacon  occurring,  and  no  competent 
person  to  take  the  lead  being  found,  the  movement  soon  ceased,  the 
troops  disbanded  and  went  home,  and  many  of  those  who  aided 
Bacon  in  protecting  the  lives  and  property  of  the  settlers  were  put 
to  death  by  Governor  Berkley  on  the  charge  of  treason.  Thomas 
Matthews,  said  to  be  a  son  of  Gov.  Matthews,  and  who  at  that  time 
represented  Stafford  county  in  the  House  of  Burgesses,  was  ap- 
pointed by  Bacon  to  the  command  of  all  the  forces  in  this  part  of 
Virginia,  but  he  probably  had  not  the  courage  or  means  to  carry 
out  Bacon's  plans. 

Bacon  died  from  a  cold  contracted  in  camp  and  was  buried  in 
Gloucester  county,  but  for  fear  the  authorities  would  exhume  the 
body  and  subject  it  to  indignities,  the  place  of  his  burial  was  kept 
a  secret.  Bacon's  effort  for  the  people  was  just  one  hundred  years 
before  the  great  revolution,  and  when  we  are  fully  informed  as  to 
his  cause  of  action  we  may  debate  in  our  minds  as  to  whether 
Nathaniel  Bacon  was  our  first  Thomas  Jefferson  or  whether  Thomas 
Jefferson  was  our  second  Nathaniel  Bacon. 

FIRST  DECLARATION   OF   INDEPENDENCE. 

It  was  in  a  public  gathering  in  Fredericksburg  on  the  29th  day 
of  April,  1775,  that  resolutions  were  passed,  approaching  in  spirit 
a  declaration  of  independence,  which  was  twenty-one  days  before 
the  resolutions  of  Mecklenburg,  North  Carolina,  were  adopted. 
The  resolutions,  adopted  in  North  Carolina,  found  their  way  into 
print  and  into  the  histories,  while  those  passed  in  Fredericksburg 
did  not ;  but  they  were  the  first  adopted  anywhere  in  the  country,  and 
more  than  six  hundred  men  were  ready  to  carry  them  into  effect  by 
marching  to  Williamsburg  to  redress  wrongs  which  had  been  com- 
mitted by  Gov.  Dunmore  in  removing  the  gun  powder  from  the  pub- 
lic magazine.  Some  regard  this  act "HI  the  beginning  of  the  great 
revolution  in  the  colonies.  It  was  to  prepare  the  people  for  any 
breach  of  the  law  or  outrage  upon  the  people's  rights,  which  had  been 
threatened  by  the  authorities  at  Williamsburg,  and  commenced  in 


284  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

the  gunpowder  act,  that  the  Fredericksburg  resolutions  were 
adopted,  and  the  great  pity  is  they  were  not  handed  down  to  suc- 
ceeding generations  and  preserved  as  the  first  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence since  the  days  of  Bacon.  In  referring  to  these  resolu- 
tions, Dr.  Howison,  in  his  United  States  History,  says,  they  were 
tantamount  to  a  declaration  of  independence. 

HENRY    LEADS    FOR    LIBERTY. 

It  was  Patrick  Henry,  of  Hanover  county,  a  Virginian,  at  the 
time  living  in  and  representing  Louisa  county,  who  fired  the 
country  with  his  matchless  eloquence  and  set  in  motion  forces  that 
achieved  liberty  and  independence  to  this  country.  It  was  this 
peerless  son  of  Virginia,  in  the  House  of  Burgesses,  surrounded 
by  such  giant  minds  as  Bland,  Pendleton,  Lee  and  Wythe,  that 
the  torch  of  liberty  was  set  on  fire  that  was  never  to  be  extinguished. 
We  quote  from  Dr.  Howison's  United  States  History : 

"He  wrote  on  the  blank  leaf  of  an  old  law-book  five  resolutions 
which  he  offered  to  the  House.  They  were  a  strong  protest  against 
the  course  of  Parliament.  The  third  declared  that  taxation  by  the 
people  themselves,  or  their  representatives  duly  chosen,  was  an 
essential  characteristic  of  British  freedom.  The  last  resolution 
was  in  these  words : 

"  'Resolved,  therefore,  that  the  General  Assembly  of  this  colony 
have  the  sole  right  and  power  to  lay  taxes  and  impositions  upon 
the  inhabitants  of  this  colony;  and  that  every  attempt  to  vest  such 
power  in  any  person  or  persons  whatsoever,  other  than  the  General 
Assembly  aforesaid,  has  a  manifest  tendency  to  destroy  British  as 
well  as  American  freedom.' 

"A  warm  debate  ensued.  Pendleton,  Bland,  Wythe  and  Ran- 
dolph all  opposed  the  resolutions ;  but  Henry  was  the  master  mind, 
and  made  an  impression  which  is  felt  to  this  day.  His  words  were 
pregnant  with  a  nation's  fMplom.  In  the  heat  of  the  debate  oc- 
curred a  memorable  scene.  Patrick  Henry  reached  a  climax. 
'Caesar,'  he  cried,  Tiad  his  Brutus ;  Charles  the  First,  his  Cromwell, 
and  George  the  Third' — 'Treason' !  burst  from  the  lips  of  the  presi- 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  285 

dent.  'Treason,'  'Treason!'  resounded  through  the  house.  The 
orator  paused ;  then,  raising  himself  to  his  full  height,  with  eyes  of 
fire  and  a  voice  which  thrilled  every  soul,  he  concluded  his  sentence, 
'and  George  the  Third  may  profit  by  their  example.  If  this  be 
treason  make  the  most  of  it.' 

"The  resolutions  were  adopted  by  one  vote,  and  that  evening 
Patrick  Henry  left  for  his  home.  In  March,  1775,  the  Virginia 
Convention  met  in  St.  John's  church,  Richmond.  It  was  a  body 
of  the  most  distinguished  men  in  Virginia,  and  among  them  was 
Patrick  Henry.  He  was  still  far  in  advance  of  the  leading  men  of 
the  convention,  who,  although  there  were  English  fleets  in  the 
waters  of  Virginia  and  armed  soldiers  quartered  within  her  towns, 
still  hoped  that  the  evils  complained  of  could  be  remedied  by  com- 
promise. 

"Henry  did  not  think  so,  and  he  was  unwilling  to  sit  down 
quietly  until  it  would  be  too  late  to  prepare  for  defense.  He  sub- 
mitted a  set  of  resolutions,  calling  attention  to  the  presence  of 
British  armies  and  the  dangers  then  threatening  American  freedom, 
and  proposed  that  Virginia  should  be  put  in  a  state  of  defense,  and 
that  measures  should  at  once  be  taken  for  embodying,  arming  and 
disciplining  such  a  number  of  men  as  may  be  sufficient  for  that  pur- 
pose." 

The  proposition  was  strongly  opposed  by  such  men  as  Bland, 
Nicholas,  Pendleton  and  Harrison.  Dr.  Howison  says :  "It  was 
now  that  Patrick  Henry  appeared  in  power.  Rising  slowly  from 
his  seat,  he  made  an  appeal  which  in  eloquence  and  strength,  and 
in  its  effect  upon  the  future  of  the  world,  went  far  beyond  any 
effort  of  oratory  ever  previously  made.  It  was  the  demonstration 
that  the  coming  war  was  to  be  a  war  of  ideas  and  principles,  and 
not  a  mere  war  of  brute  force."  No  perfect  production  of  this 
speech  has  been  preserved — perhaps  none  were  possible ;  yet  enough 
has  been  preserved  to  enable  the  thoughtful  student  to  feel  some- 
thing of  its  inspiration : 

"Let  us  not,  I  beseech  you,  sir,  deceive  ourselves.  We  have  done 
everything  that  could  be  done  to  avert  the  storm  which  is  now  com- 
ing on.     We  have  petitioned — we   have  remonstrated — we  have 


286  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

supplicated — we  have  prostrated  ourselves  before  the  throne  and 
have  implored  its  interposition  to  arrest  the  tyrannical  hands  of 
the  Ministry  and  Parliament.  Our  petitions  have  been  slighted; 
our  remonstrances  have  produced  additional  violence  and  insult; 
our  supplications  have  been  disregarded,  and  we  have  been  spurned 
with  contempt  from  the  foot  of  the  throne.  In  vain,  after  these 
things,  may  we  indulge  the  fond  hope  of  peace  and  reconciliation. 
There  is  no  longer  any  room  for  hope.  If  we  wish  to  be  free — if 
we  mean  to  preserve  inviolate  those  inestimable  privileges  for 
which  we  have  been  so  long  contending — if  we  mean  not  basely  to 
abandon  the  noble  struggle  in  which  we  have  been  so  long  engaged, 
and  which  we  have  pledged  ourselves  never  to  abandon  until  the 
object  of  our  contest  shall  be  obtained — we  must  fight !  I  repeat 
it,  sir,  we  must  fight !  An  appeal  to  arms  and  to  the  God  of  hosts 
is  all  that  is  left  us. 

"There  is  a  just  God  who  presides  over  the  destinies  of  nations, 
and  who  will  raise  up  friends  to  fight  our  battles  for  us.  The 
battle,  sir,  is  not  to  the  strong  alone;  it  is  to  the  vigilant,  the 
active,  the  brave.  Besides,  sir,  we  have  no  election.  If  we  were 
base  enough  to  desire  it,  it  is  now  too  late  to  retire  from  the  con- 
test. There  is  no  retreat  but  in  submission  and  slavery.  Our 
chains  are  forged;  their  clanking  may  be  heard  on  the  plains  of 
Boston.  The  war  is  inevitable,  and  let  it  come.  I  repeat  it,  sir, 
let  it  come ! 

"Gentlemen  may  cry,  Peace !  peace !  but  there  is  no  peace.  The 
war  has  already  begun.  The  next  gale  that  sweeps  from  the  North 
will  bring  to  our  ears  the  clash  of  resounding  arms.  Our  brethren 
are  already  in  the  field.  Why  stand  we  here  idle?  What  is  it  that 
gentlemen  wish  ?  What  would  they  have  ?  Is  life  so  dear  or  peace 
so  sweet  as  to  be  purchased  at  the  price  of  chains  and  slavery? 
Forbid  it,  Almighty  God !  I  know  not  what  course  others  may 
take ;  but  as  for  me,  give  me  liberty  or  give  me  death !" 

A  dead  silence  followed  this  speech.  The  feelings  it  excited  were 
too  deep  for  applause;  but  there  was  no  longer  any  hesitation  or 
division  of  opinion.  The  proposal  of  Henry  was  adopted,  and,  in 
a  short  time,  Virginia  was  alive  with  military  preparation. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  287 

There  are  two  prophesies  in  this  eloquent  speech  which  were  ful- 
filled; one  was  that  the  clash  of  resounding  arms  would  be  heard 
by  the  next  gale  from  the  North — the  battle  of  Lexington  was 
fought  on  the  19th  of  April;  and  the  other  was  that  God  would 
raise  up  friends  to  fight  our  battles  for  us.  Our  independence 
could  hardly  have  been  secured  without  the  aid  of  the  French, 
whom  Lafayette  led,  and  who  were  the  friends  that  were  raised  up 
for  us  by  a  kind  Providence. 

pendleton's  resolutions. 

It  was  Edmund  Pendleton,  of  Sparta,  in  Caroline  county,  a 
Virginian,  who  prepared,  and  Cary  presented,  resolutions  defining 
the  position  of  the  colonies  and  instructing  the  Virginia  delegation 
to  the  General  Congress  to  vote  for  a  declaration  of  separation 
from  Great  Britain.  These  resolutions  were  heartily  indorsed  by 
the  troops  that  had  assembled  at  Williamsburg,  and  even  by  those 
leading  Virginians  who  so  strongly  condemned  Patrick  Henry's 
first  great  speech. 

It  was  Eichard  Henry  Lee,  of  Westmoreland  county,  a  Virginian, 
who  offered,  in  the  Colonial  Congress,  the  resolution  that  embodied 
the  views  expressed  in  the  Pendleton  resolutions,  and  which  brought 
forth  the  Declaration  of  Independence.  The  resolution  was  sub- 
mitted on  the  7th  of  June,  1776,  which  was  as  follows : 

"That  these  United  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free 
and  independent  States;  that  they  are  absolved  from  all  allegiance 
to  the  British  Crown;  and  that  all  political  connection  between 
them  and  the  State  of  Great  Britain  is,  and  ought  to  be,  totally  dis- 
solved." 

The  discussion  of  this  resolution  showed  the  temper  of  Congress, 
and  while  the  vote  was  postponed  at  the  instance  of  some  members 
who  still  thought  such  a  measure  premature,  a  committee  to  pre- 
pare and  bring  forward  a  declaration  was  appointed,  of  which 
Thomas  Jefferson  was  made  chairman.  Mr.  Lee,  a  member  of  the 
committee,  was  called  home  because  of  the  sickness  of  his  wife,  but 
Mr.  Jefferson  sent  him  the  original  copy  of  the  draft  and  also  the 


288  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

amendments  for  his  inspection,  and  wrote  him :     "You  will  judge 
whether  it  is  the  better  or  worse  for  the  critics." 

GEORGE    MASON'S   BILL  OF   RIGHTS. 

It  was  George  Mason,  of  Gunston  Hall,  a  native  of  Stafford 
county,  a  Virginian,  who  wrote  the  Virginia  Bill  of  Eights  and  the 
Constitution  of  Virginia.  The  fact  that  Mason  was  a  farmer,  and 
not  a  lawyer,  has  been  emphasized  by  several  writers,  and  the  fact 
that  he  prepared  those  important  documents,  when  there  were  so 
many  eminent  lawyers  associated  with  him  in  those  stirring  times, 
is  a  matter  of  surprise.  But  that  he  did  write  them  has  never 
been  disputed  or  questioned,  and  it  was  an  honor  that  linked  his 
name  with  those  of  Jefferson  and  Madison,  and  will  enshrine  his 
memory  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen  for  all  time  to  come. 
And  the  honor  of  preparing  this  important  instrument  is  en- 
hanced when  we  remember  they  were  almost  original  in  thought 
as  to  most  of  the  principles  declared  in  them.  It  is  true  that  some 
have  claimed  that  the  Bill  of  Rights  was  based  upon  the  English 
Bill  of  Rights  of  1689,  yet  that  bill  only  assorted  the  right  of  sub- 
jects to  petition,  the  right  of  Parliament  to  freedom  of  debate,  the 
right  of  electors  to  choose  their  representatives  freely,  and  other 
minor  privileges.  These  rights  had  been  exercised  by  the  Colonists, 
but  there  were  other  rights  dear  to  the  people  which  they  had  not 
enjoyed  and  were  not  permitted  to  enjoy,  and  there  were  grievous 
wrongs  committed  upon  the  people  that  had  to  cease. 

These  things  called  for  a  different  kind  of  paper  from  the 
English  Bill  of  Rights  and  the  times  necessitated  different  demands 
than  were  made  calling  forth  the  bill  of  1689.  A  paper  was  needed 
setting  forth  the  rights  of  freemen  and  providing  for  the  govern- 
ment of  freemen,  and  it  is  asserted  that  the  Bill  of  Rights  was 
a  pattern  for  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  while  the  Consti- 
tution was  the  first  one  that  was  written  for  the  government  of  a 
free  and  independent  people  in  all  the  past  history  of  the  world. 

The  Bill  of  Rights  was  adopted  by  the  Virginia  Convention  on 
the  12th  of  June,  1776,  after  it  had  been  thoroughly  discussed  for 
several  days.     It  was  written  for  Virginia  and  did  not  apply  to 


Public  School  Building  (colored.) 
(See  page  144) 


The  Butterfield  Monument.    "In  honor  of  the  Fifth  Army  Corps, 

and  also  to  the  valor  of  every  American  Soldier. ' ' 

Gen.  Butterfield. 

(See  page  200) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  289 

the  other  colonies,  yet  it  is  so  complete  in  all  its  parts  we  are  told 
that  other  State  constitutions,  in  defining  the  rights  of  the  citizen, 
largely  followed  the  phraseology  of  this  famous  instrument.  All 
Virginians  should  read  it,  again  and  again,  study  it  and  treasure 
it  as  one  of  the  most  precious  legacies  bequeathed  to  them.  The 
following  is  the  bill  in  full : 

1.  That  all  men  are  by  nature  equally  free  and  independent  and 
have  certain  inherent  rights  of  which  when  they  enter  into  a  state 
of  society,  they  cannot,  by  any  compact,  deprive  or  divest  their 
posterity ;  namely,  the  enjoyment  of  life  and  liberty,  with  the  means 
of  acquiring  and  possessing  property,  and  pursuing  and  obtaining 
happiness  and  safety. 

2.  That  all  power  is  vested  in,  and  consequently  derived  from, 
the  people;  that  magistrates  are  their  trustees  and  servants,  and 
at  all  times  amenable  to  them. 

3.  That  government  is,  or  ought  to  be,  instituted  for  the  com- 
mon benefit,  protection  and  security  of  the  people,  nation  or  com- 
munity; of  all  the  various  modes  and  forms  of  government, 
that  is  best,  which  is  capable  of  producing  the  greatest  degree 
of  happiness  and  safety,  and  is  most  effectually  secured  against  the 
danger  of  maladministration ;  and  that,  when  any  government  shall 
be  found  inadequate  or  contrary  to  these  purposes,  a  majority  of 
the  community  hath  an  indubitable,  unalienable  and  indefeasible 
right,  to  reform,  alter  or  abolish  it,  in  such  manner  as  shall  be 
judged  most  conducive  to  the  public  weal. 

4.  That  no  man,  or  set  of  men,  are  entitled  to  exclusive  or  sepa- 
rate emoluments  or  privileges  from  the  community,  but  in  con- 
sideration of  public  services;  which,  not  being  descendible,  neither 
ought  the  offices  of  magistrate,  legislator  or  judge  be  hereditary. 

5.  That  the  legislative,  executive  and  judicial  powers  should  be 
separate  and  distinct;  and  that  the  members  thereof  may  be  re- 
strained from  oppression,  by  feeling  and  participating  in  the  bur- 
dens of  the  people,  they  should,  at  fixed  periods,  be  reduced  to  a 
private  station,  return  into  that  body  from  whence  they  were 
originally  taken,  and  the  vacancies  be  supplied  by  frequent,  certaiu 

19 


290  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

and  regular  elections,  in  which  all,  or  any  part  of  the  former  mem- 
bers, to  be  again  eligible,  or  ineligible  as  the  laws  shall  direct. 

6.  That  all  elections  ought  to  be  free;  and  that  all  men  having 
sufficient  evidence  of  permanent  common  interest  with,  and  attach- 
ment to,  the  community  have  the  right  of  suffrage  and  cannot  be 
taxed  or  deprived  of  their  property  for  public  uses,  without  their 
own  consent  or  that  of  their  representatives  so  elected,  nor  bound 
by  any  law  to  which  they  have  not,  in  like  manner,  assented  for 
the  public  good. 

7.  That  all  power  of  suspending  laws,  or  the  execution  of  laws, 
by  any  authority,  without  the  consent  of  the  representatives  of  the 
people,  is  injurious  to  their  rights,  and  ought  not  to  be  exercised. 

8.  That  in  all  capital  or  criminal  prosecutions,  a  man  hath  the 
right  to  demand  the  cause  and  nature  of  his  accusation,  to  be  con- 
fronted with  the  accusers  and  witnesses,  to  call  for  evidence  in  his 
favor  and  to  a  speedy  trial  by  an  impartial  jury  of  twelve  men  of 
his  vicinage,  without  whose  unanimous  consent  he  cannot  be  found 
guilty;  nor  can  he  be  compelled  to  give  evidence  against  himself; 
that  no  man  be  deprived  of  his  liberty,  except  by  the  law  of  the 
land  or  the  judgment  of  his  peers. 

9.  That  excessive  bail  ought  not  to  be  required,  nor  excessive 
fines  imposed,  nor  cruel  and  unusual  punishments  inflicted. 

10.  The  general  warrants,  whereby  an  officer  or  messenger  may 
be  commanded  to  search  suspected  places  without  evidence  of  a 
fact  committed,  or  to  seize  any  person  not  named,  or  whose 
offence  is  not  particularly  described  and  supported  by  evidence, 
are  grievous  and  oppressive,  and  ought  not  to  be  granted. 

11.  That  in  controversies  respecting  property,  and  in  suits  be- 
tween man  and  man,  the  ancient  trial  by  jury  of  twelve  men  is  pre- 
ferable to  any  other,  and  ought  to  be  held  sacred. 

12.  That  the  freedom  of  the  press  is  one  of  the  great  bulwarks 
of  liberty,  and  can  never  be  restrained  but  by  despotic  governments. 

13.  That  a  well  regulated  militia,  composed  of  the  body  of  the 
people,  trained  to  arms,  is  the  proper,  natural  and  safe  defence  of 
a  free  people;  that  standing  armies,  in  times  of  peace,  should  be 
avoided,  as  dangerous  to  liberty ;  and  that  in  all  cases,  the  military 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  291 

should  be  under  strict  subordination  to,  and  governed  by,  the  civil 
power. 

14.  That  the  people  have  a  right  to  uniform  government;  and 
therefore  that  no  government  separate  from,  or  independent  of,  the 
government  of  Virginia,  ought  to  be  erected  or  established  within 
the  limits  thereof. 

15.  That  no  free  government,  or  the  blessings  of  liberty,  can 
be  preserved  to  any  people,  but  by  a  firm  adherence  to  justice, 
moderation,  temperance,  frugality  and  virtue,  and  by  a  frequent 
recurrence  to  fundamental  principles. 

16.  That  religion,  or  the  duty  which  we  owe  to  our  Creator,  and 
the  manner  of  discharging  it,  can  be  directed  only  by  reason  and 
conviction,  not  by  force  or  violence;  and  therefore  all  men  are 
equally  entitled  to  the  free  exercise  of  religion,  according  to  the 
dictates  of  conscience ;  and  that  it  is  the  mutual  duty  of  all  to  prac- 
tise Christian  forbearance,  love  and  charity  towards  each  other. 


CHAPTEE  XX 

The  Declaration  of  Separation — The  Declaration  of  Independence 
— Washington  Commander-in-Chief — John  Paul  Jones  Raises 
the  First  Flag — He  was  First  to  Raise  the  Stars  and  Stripes — 
Fredericksburg  Furnishes  the  Head  of  the  Armies  and  Navy 
— The  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  &c. 

As  stated  in  the  last  chapter,  we  continue  in  this  references  to 
the  great  deeds  of  the  great  men  of  Virginia  that  should  be  grouped. 
as  we  are  here  endeavoring  to  do,  in  the  smallest  possible  space, 
and  preserved  to  perpetuate  their  memory  and  honor  their  descend- 
ants through  all  coming  time.  It  was  Thomas  Jefferson,  of  Albe- 
marle county,  a  Virginian,  who  wrote  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence, that  struck  the  shackles  of  servitude  from  the  people  of 
this  country,  and  proclaimed  the  United  Colonies  a  new-born  na- 
tion, free  and  independent. 

JEFFERSON  AND  THE  DECLARATION. 

A  lineal  descendant  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  three  generations  re- 
moved, Judge  John  E.  Mason,  thus  writes  on  these  subjects,  for  this 
publication : 

"Some  years  before  the  Revolutionary  war,  the  colony  of  Virginia 
had  become  restless  under  British  dominion.  There  had  been,  here 
and  there,  open  expressions  of  discontent,  and  a  growing  resent- 
ment, if  not  positive  hostility,  against  the  mother  country.  In  fact, 
nowhere  more  than  in  Virginia,  and  especially  in  this  section,  had 
the  spirit  of  independence  more  steadily  grown;  and  when  the 
time  came  for  decision  and  concert  of  action  by  the  colonies,  public 
opinion  here  was  ripe  to  break  down  the  old  barriers,  and  to  resist, 
with  force,  the  power  of  England. 

"Among  those  who  had  taken  a  most  active  part  in  moulding  pub- 
lic sentiment  was  Thomas  Jefferson,  who,  because  of  his  extreme 
views  in  antagonizing  every  element  of  English  ideas,  and  its  gov- 
ernment as  based  upon  an  aristocracy,  has  sometimes  been  called 

[  292  ] 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  293 

the  'Great  Commoner.'  Whether  he,  more  than  others,  who  were 
upon  the  stage  of  action  at  that  time,  is  entitled  to  the  name,  those 
who  know  his  history  must  be  the  judge ;  but  certain  it  is,  he  was 
in  advance  of  many  of  his  contemporaries  in  developing  antagonism 
to  ancient  ideas  and  ancient  customs,  which  were  the  pride  of  the 
British  people. 

"On  the  6th  of  May,  1776,  the  delegates  from  the  counties  and 
cities  of  the  Colony  of  Virginia,  met  in  convention  at  its  capi- 
tol  in  Williamsburg,  Edmund  Pendleton  presiding.  During  this 
convention  certain  resolutions  were  reported  from  committee  by 
Archibald  Cary,  which  were  unanimously  adopted  by  the  one  hun- 
dred and  twelve  members  present.  The  first  of  these  resolutions — 
said  to  have  been  proposed  by  Thomas  Nelson,  and  drawn  as  re- 
ported by  Edmund  Pendleton,  but  no  doubt  the  work  of  both — 
after  reciting  certain  grievances  against  the  mother  country,  de- 
clared that  the  'delegates  appointed  to  represent  the  colony  in  the 
General  Congress,  be  instructed  to  propose  to  that  respectable  body 
to  declare  the  United  Colonies  free  and  independent  States, 
absolved  from  all  allegiance  to  or  dependence  upon  the  Crown  or 
Parliament  of  Great  Britain/ 

"In  Congress,  on  the  7th  day  of  June,  1776,  the  gifted  Eichard 
Henry  Lee,  from  this  section,  in  obedience  to  instructions,  offered 
the  same  resolution,  which  had  been  adopted  by  the  Virginia  Con- 
vention— that  Congress  should  'declare  that  the  United  Colonies 
are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and  independent  States.'  This 
resolution  was  the  precursor  of  the  formal  declaration.  It  was 
offered  by  a  Virginian,  acting  under  instructions  given  by  Vir- 
ginians, and  its  answer  was  the  Declaration  of  Independence. 

"The  debate  began  on  this  resolution  on  the  8th  of  June,  but  on 
the  10th,  it  having  developed  that  five  colonies  north  of  the  Potomac 
were  not  ready  to  vote,  the  final  decision  was  then  postponed  until 
the  first  day  of  July.  In  the  meantime  a  committee  had  been 
elected  to  draft  a  Declaration  of  Independence.  Mr.  Lee,  the 
mover  of  the  above  resolution,  was  unexpectedly  called  home  by  the 
illness  of  his  wife,  and  was  not  on  the  committee.  The  committee- 
was  not  appointed  by  the  presiding  officer,  but  was  elected  by  ballot. 


294  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

by  Congress,  and  Jefferson,  having  received  the  highest  number  of 
votes  cast,  was  its  chairman.  Its  work  was  completed  by  the  28th 
of  June.  The  Declaration  of  Independence  was,  on  that  date,  re- 
ported to  the  House  by  Jefferson,  and  was  then  read  and  ordered  to 
lie  on  the  table.  The  Virginia  resolution  was  carried  in  the  affirm- 
ative, in  the  Committee  of  the  Whole  July  1st.  On  the  2nd  day  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  was  taken  up  and  debated  each  day 
until  the  fourth,  when  it  was  adopted.  It  will  be  observed  that  the 
Declaration  was  completed  before  Congress  had  adopted  the  Vir- 
ginia resolution. 

"The  committee,  elected  to  draft  the  Declaration  of  Independ- 
ence, consisted  of  Thomas  Jefferson,  John  Adams,  Benjamin 
Franklin,  Roger  Sherman  and  Robert  R.  Livingston.  Mr.  Jeffer- 
son drew  the  Declaration  of  Independence  at  the  request  of  the 
other  members  of  the  committee.  Had  another  been  its  author, 
we  believe  the  Declaration  would  have  been  different  in  tone, 
while,  of  course,  the  leading  principles  would  have  been  the  same. 
Many  members  were  conservative,  while  Jefferson  was  radical. 
They  had  in  view  chiefly  independence  and  freedom;  Jefferson 
had  the  same  opinions,  but  even  then  contemplated  a  complete 
revolution  in  the  existing  conditions — for  anything  which,  in  the 
slightest  degree,  partook  of  the  nature  of  the  government  of  Great 
Britain,  her  customs  or  traditions,  was  odious  to  him.  He  wished 
an  irrevocable  change,  so  that  the  new  would  supersede  the  old 
beyond  recall. 

"When,  in  framing  that  great  document,  he  wrote  these  words : 
*We  hold  these  truths  to  be  self-evident;  that  all  men  are  created 
equal ;  that  they  are  endowed  by  their  Creator  with  certain  inalien- 
able rights/  *  *  *  it  doubtless  did  not  require  a  prophet  to 
tell  what  his  future  course  would  be,  or  the  principles,  considered 
radical  then,  for  which  he  would  stand,  or  the  wonderful  influence 
'these  truths'  would  have  in  forming  constitutions  and  shaping 
legislation,  State  and  national,  provided  the  British  were  beaten  on 
the  field  of  battle. 

"It  is  worthy  of  note  that  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  as  it 
vcame  from  his  hands,  suffered  little  change,  except  in  two  instances. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  295 

He  inserted  in  the  original  draft  what  might  be  called  an  emanci- 
pation proclamation — a  clause  condemning  as  piratical  warfare 
against  human  nature  itself,  the  enslaving  of  Africans — the  slave 
trade  being  then  sanctioned  by  North  and  South — the  former  being 
carriers  and  the  latter  principally  buyers — a  business  which  Vir- 
ginia would,  years  before,  have  prohibited  had  she  not  been  met, 
in  every  effort,  by  royal  vetoes.  The  other  change  was  made  by 
striking  out  some  animadversions  upon  the  English  people.  This 
was  done  by  those  who  yet  hoped  for  reconciliation,  or  something, 
they  knew  not  what,  which  might  avert  the  desperate  struggle. 

"To  those  who  believe  in  freedom  of  thought  and  action ;  in  the 
sovereignty  of  the  people ;  in  the  equality  of  all  men  before  the  law, 
based  upon  constitutional  rights,  restrictions  and  limitations,  made 
by  the  wisdom  of  the  greatest  men  this  world  has  ever  produced; 
in  opening  the  door  to  promotion  to  all  men  whose  talents,  integrity 
and  general  high  characters  entitle  them  to  such  honors,  the 
Declaration  of  Independence  must  forever  commend  itself;  and  it 
seems  to  the  writer  that  upon  the  strict  adherence  to  the  principles, 
therein  enunciated,  rests  the  very  life  of  the  government  of  the 
United  States. 

"There  are  many  other  great  things  which  came  from  the  brain 
of  Jefferson  besides  the  Declaration  of  Independence,  though  the 
Declaration  may  have  been  the  basis  of  all.  The  principles  of  the 
Declaration  having  been  once  established,  these  followed  as  a 
natural  sequence.  In  a  limited  space  only  a  few  can  be  simply 
noted.  After  he  retired  from  Congress,  in  1776,  to  become  a 
member  of  the  Virginia  Legislature,  he  presented,  in  the  session 
of  that  year,  a  bill  for  the  revisal  of  the  laws  of  the  State,  which 
was  soon  passed,  and  Jefferson,  Pendleton,  Wythe,  George  Mason 
and  Thomas  L.  Lee  were  appointed  a  committee  for  revision. 

"This  committee  of  distinguished  men  met  in  Fredericksburg 
on  the  13th  day  of  February,  1777.  Here  various  propositions  were 
submitted  and  discussed — Mason,  Wythe  and  Jefferson  almost  al- 
ways agreeing  and  voting  together,  and  Pendleton,  of  all,  being  the 
most  unwilling  to  depart  from  the  old  conditions,  except,  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  committee,  he  proposed  a  new  system,  that  all 


296  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

common  law  and  equity  jurisprudence,  which  had  received  the  sanc- 
tion of  ages,  should  be  abrogated — a  new  institute,  after  the  model 
of  Justinian  or  Bracton,  should  be  reported,  thus  giving  us  what 
is  called,  in  this  day,  a  code  law,  which  would  have  been  set  afloat, 
without  a  precedent  to  guide  it,  and  to  construe  which,  would  have 
taken  our  courts  from  that  time  to  this. 

"After  this  committee  had  agreed  on  measures  and  propositions, 
and  the  general  outline  of  the  system  to  be  pursued,  Mason  and 
Lee,  having  given  the  other  members  the  benefit  of  their  advice, 
retired  from  further  participation  in  its  labors,  because  they  were 
not  lawyers,  and  left  the  work  to  be  done  by  the  other  three  mem- 
bers, who  then  divided  it,  and  completed  the  arduous  task  in  1779. 

"There  were  four  measures  proposed  by  Jefferson  before  the  full 
committee,  then  sitting  in  Fredericksburg,  which  were  his  especial 
pride,  and  these  were  the  repeal  of  the  laws  of  entail,  the  abolition 
of  primogeniture,  the  establishment  of  a  system  of  public  education, 
and  the  act  for  the  establishment  of  religious  freedom.  These  four 
bills,  he  himself  afterwards  said,  he  'considered  as  forming  a  sys- 
tem by  which  every  fibre  would  be  eradicated  of  ancient,  or  future, 
aristocracy,  and  a  foundation  laid  for  a  government  truly  repub- 
lican.' 

"To  use  his  own  language  again,  'the  repeal  of  the  laws  of  entail 
would  prevent  the  accumulation  and  perpetuation  of  wealth  in 
select  families  and  preserve  the  soil  of  the  country  from  being  more 
and  more  absorbed  in  mortmain/ 

"Not  only  was  the  abolition  of  the  laws  of  entail  resisted  by  some 
of  the  best  talent  in  Virginia,  but  when  Jefferson  proposed  to 
abolish  also  the  law  of  primogeniture — a  relic  of  feudalism — there 
was  strong  opposition  from  the  same  sources — men  who  had  risked 
fortunes  and  lives  in  the  struggle  for  independence,  but  who  were 
unwilling  to  join  Jefferson  in  his  attack  upon  institutions  whose 
very  age  commanded  veneration.  One  of  the  chief  opponents  of 
Jefferson  was  Edmund  Pendleton,  his  friend,  whose  candor,  great 
ability  and  benevolence  in  all  these  struggles  won  his  admiration. 

"It  was  Pendleton,  who,  when  he  found  the  old  law  could  not 
prevail,  suggested  that  the  Hebrew  principle  be  adopted,  by  which 


The  Old  Planters'  Hotel.     The  stone  in  front  was  used  as  a 

"stand"  for  slaves  when  hired  or  sold 

at  public  "outcry." 

(See  page  165) 


The  Opera  House.     It  occupies  the  ground  of  the  bank  and 

other  buildings  burnt  at  the  bombardment, 

December  II,  1862. 

(See  page  269) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  297 

le  eldest  son  should  inherit  double  the  amount  of  real  estate  which 
ould  descend  to  the  heirs  of  the  ancestor.  The  reply  of  Jefferson 
as  characteristic  and  terse — 'I  observed/  he  says,  'that  if  the 
dest  son  could  eat  twice  as  much  and  do  double  work,  it  might 
3  a  natural  evidence  of  his  right  to  a  double  portion;  but  being 
i  a  par,  in  his  powers  and  wants,  with  his  brothers  and  sisters, 
e  should  be  on  a  par  also  in  the  partition  of  the  patrimony.' 

"The  statute  of  descents  in  Virginia  was  drawn  by  him — a  statute 
hich  has  justice  and  'natural  right'  in  every  line,  and  so  clear 
nd  perspicuous  is  it,  that  in  all  these  years  only  one  serious  ques- 
on  has  been  raised  regarding  it,  calling  for  a  decision  of  the 
upreme  Court  of  Appeals. 

"Jefferson  gave  an  impetus  to  public  education  which  is  felt  at 
lis  time.  He  proposed  to  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia  three 
ills :  the  first,  establishing  elementary  free  schools  for  all  children : 
\ie  second,  for  colleges;  and  the  third,  for  the  highest  grade  of 
fences.  Only  the  first  of  these  was  passed  by  the  Assembly,  and 
efore  this  was  done  it  was  so  amended  that  it  could  not  be  opera- 
ive  unless  the  county  courts  so  decided.  Now,  as  the  justices  who 
resided  over  these  courts,  while  among  the  most  honorable  and 
alented  men  in  Virginia,  were  generally  of  a  class  who  did  not  care 
o  bear  the  taxes  necessarily  entailed  upon  them  by  the  adoption 
f  the  system,  no  free  schools  were  established  in  any  county  within 
he  Commonwealth  under  this  act,  with  possibly  the  exception  of 
ne  county. 

"It  was  a  fact  that  our  ancestors,  especially  when  under  the 
English  system  of  government,  did  not  favor  education  at  public 
xpense,  and  the  royal  Governors,  as  a  rule,  threw  the  weight  of 
heir  influence  against  it.  But  after  the  Eevolutionary  war  had 
closed,  and  the  government  of  the  States  was  made  a  government  by 
he  people,  Virginians,  like  Jefferson,  proceeded  on  the  theory  that 
:o  have  a  good  government,  the  people — the  sovereigns — must  be 
educated,  so  that  they  would  take,  not  only  a  deeper  interest  in  the 
iffairs  of  State,  but  would  do  so  with  intelligence — the  more  know- 
edge  disseminated  the  better  would  be  the  government,  and  the 
ess  danger  there  would  be  of  its  falling  into  the  hands  of  a  favored 
ind  exclusive  class. 


298  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

"The  principle  of  free  education,  however,  so  earnestly  forced  to 
the  front  by  Jefferson,  eventually  bore  fruit,  though  the  ripening 
was  slow.  It  was  gradually  adopted  by  the  people  of  Virginia, 
until  now  a  system,  backed  by  a  sound  public  sentiment,  is  estab- 
lished in  every  county  and  city  in  the  State,  and  the  doors  of  the 
colleges  are  open  to  those  who  have  not  been  favored  with  fortune. 
It  may  be  safely  predicted  that  when  the  State  shall  have  fully 
recovered  from  the  wreck  and  havoc  of  the  Civil  war,  that  a  com- 
plete and  thorough  system  will  be  established,  such  as  that  which 
was  first  proposed  by  Jefferson,  and  the  people  of  the  State  will  re- 
joice to  see  it  done. 

"No  more  important  measure  was  proposed  to  the  committee 
which  met  in  Fredericksburg,  on  the  13th  of  January,  1777,  than 
that  of  Jefferson's  for  the  establishment  of  religious  freedom,  just 
as  it  now  appears,  with  slight  modifications  in  the  preamble,  in 
the  statute  books  to-day.  The  fact  that  this  act  was  written  in 
Fredericksburg,  we  have  never  heard  questioned ;  and  the  people  of 
this  city  have  the  same  right  to  claim  that  this  'second  declaration' 
had  its  birth  here,  that  the  people  of  Philadelphia  have  to  claim 
that  city  as  the  birth-place  of  the  first.  It  was,  however,  a  long 
time  before  its  advocates  were  able  to  secure  its  passage  by  the 
Legislature.  Having  been  written  in  1777,  it  did  not  become  the 
law  of  the  land  until  1785. 

"In  making  his  fight  for  religious  freedom,  the  courage,  the 
persistence  and  the  power  of  this  statesman  shone  in  all  their 
splendor.  We  consider  this  as  his  most  difficult  task,  but  it  is  his 
crowning  glory.  He  had  arrayed  against  him  the  advocates  of 
a  long  cherished  policy,  sustained  by  law ;  one  around  which  tradi- 
tion had  woven  a  peculiar  sanctity,  and  he  who  would  lift  his  hand 
against  it  was  deemed  guilty  of  sacrilege.  There,  too,  were  the 
clergy,  strong  in  resistance,  backed,  as  they  were,  by  a  wealthy  and 
powerful  class,  Jefferson  himself  belonging  to  a  family  whose  mem- 
bers, though  loyal  in  exacting  faithful  obedience  to  changes  in 
existing  conditions,  loved  this  church  and  worshipped  in  its  sacred, 
but  State  protected  walls ;  yet,  in  spite  of  all  of  this,  believing  that 
freedom  of  conscience  was  one   of  the   'inalienable  and  natural 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  299 

rights,"  with  a  boldness,  which  all  must  commend;  with  a  persis- 
tence, which  all  must  admire,  he  headed  the  forces  which  took  the 
last  citadels  of  monarchial  institutions  and  leveled  them  to  the 
ground,  thus  forever  separating  church  and  State  and  eliminating 
the  combination  of  political  policy  and  religion,  so  that  henceforth 
no  man  could  be  'compelled  to  frequent  or  support  any  religious 
worship,  place  or  ministry,  but  all  men  shall  be  free  to  profess,  and 
by  argument  maintain,  their  opinions  in  matters  of  religion,  and 
the  same  shall  in  no  wise  diminish,  enlarge  or  effect  their  civil 
capacity.' 

"In  justice  to  those  who  were  adherents  to  the  established  church, 
it  must  be  said  that  some  supported  Jefferson,  and  after  the  change 
came,  none  were  more  devoted  in  maintaining  the  statute,  and  all 
others  of  kindred  import;  many  being  in  positions  charged  with 
their  proper  enforcement,  gave  them  sound  judicial  interpreta- 
tion in  exact  conformity  to  all  theories  of  the  newly  formed  gov- 
ernment. 

"This  act  for  the  establishment  of  religious  freedom  is  not  only 
a  monument  to  him,  as  a  liberator  of  men,  but  its  elegant  diction, 
its  easy  and  smoothly  flowing  style,  show  his  genius  as  a  writer.  It 
is  worthy  of  note,  its  preamble  contains  over  five  hundred  words, 
yet  it  is  but  one  sentence ;  only  finished  in  the  body  of  the  act  itself, 
where  the  first  period  appears ;  and,  although  he  says  this  preamble 
was  somewhat  mutilated  by  others,  there  is  nothing  doubtful  or 
uncertain  as  to  its  meaning,  purpose  and  scope. 

"To  do  full  justice  to  the  subject  in  hand  would  require  a  volume, 
but  we  must  content  ourselves  with  what  has  been  written  to  show 
in  part  the  wonderful  and  rapid  changes  then  made  in  old  and 
settled  conditions,  and  the  powerful  influence  this  section  had  in 
moulding  a  government  based  on  'natural  rights  and  justice,'  and 
in  shaping  its  destinies." 

WASHINGTON  GAINS  INDEPENDENCE. 

It  was  George  Washington,  a  native  of  Westmoreland  county, 
raised  in  Fredericskburg,  who  led  the  American  armies  in  the 
Revolutionary  war  and  gained  American  independence.     He  was 


300  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

called  the  "Great  and  Good  Washington."  He  was  truly  great. 
He  was  great  in  the  eyes  of  Americans ;  he  was  great  in  the  eyes  of 
his  opposing  enemies;  he  was  great  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  He 
was  an  uncrowned  king,  because  he  refused  to  be  crowned.  We 
cannot  properly  appreciate  his  greatness,  because  he  was  so  great 
we  have  no  one  to  compare  him  with. 

It  is  said  a  famous  scholar  has  written  a  long  essay  in  which  he 
argued  that  the  "traditional  Washington"  must  give  place  to  the 
new  Washington.  Referring  to  this,  Senator  Lodge  says:  "This 
is  true  in  one  sense.  A  new  idea  of  Washington  comes  up  in  the 
mind  of  each  generation,  as  it  learns  the  story  of  the  father  of  this 
country;  but  in  another  sense,  the  idea  of  a  new  Washington  is 
wrong.  He  cannot  be  discovered  anew,  because  there  never  was  but 
one  Washington." 

As  to  the  esteem  in  which  Washington  is  held  all  over  the  world, 
Senator  Lodge  says :  "Even  Englishmen,  the  most  unsparing  critics 
of  us,  have  done  homage  to  Washington  from  the  time  of  Byron 
and  Fox  to  the  present  day.  France  has  always  revered  his  name. 
In  distant  lands,  people  who  have  hardly  heard  of  the  United 
States  know  the  name  of  Washington.  Nothing  could  better  show 
the  regard  of  the  world  for  this  great  giver  of  liberty  to  the  people 
than  the  way  in  which  contributions  came  from  all  nations  to  his 
monument  in  Washington.  There  are  stones  from  Greece,  frag- 
ments of  the  Parthenon.  There  are  stones  from  Brazil,  Turkey, 
Japan,  Switzerland,  Siam  and  India.  In  sending  her  tribute, 
China  said:  'In  devising  plans,  Washington  was  more  decided 
than  Ching  Shing  or  Woo  Kwang;  in  winning  a  country,  he  was 
braver  than  Tsau  Tsau  or  Ling  Po.  Wielding  his  four-footed 
falchion,  he  extended  the  frontiers,  and  refused  to  accept  the  royal 
dignity.  The  sentiments  of  the  three  dynasties  have  reappeared  in 
him.  Can  any  man  of  ancient  or  modern  times  fail  to  pronounce 
Washington  peerless?'  These  comparisons,  which  are  so  strange 
to  our  ears,  and  which  sound  stranger  still  when  used  in  comparison 
with  Washington,  show  that  his  name  has  reached  further  than  we 
can  comprehend." 

Speaking   of  the   Declaration   of   Independence,   Maury   says: 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  301 

"From  beginning  to  end  it  was  the  work  of  Virginia.  A  Virginia 
planter  (Mason)  conceived  it;  a  Virginia  lawyer  (Jefferson) 
drafted  it;  and  a  Virginia  soldier  (Washington)  defended  it  and 
made  it  a  living  reality." 

FIRST  FLAG  RAISED  BY  JOHN  PAUL  JONES. 

It  was  John  Paul  Jones,  a  Fredericksburg  man,  who  raised  the 
first  flag  over  our  infant  navy,  and  the  first  to  throw  our  National 
flag — the  Stars  and  Stripes — to  the  breeze  of  heaven.  The  Na- 
tional Portrait  Gallery,  volume  1,  giving  a  short  sketch  of  Jones's 
life,  says :  "On  the  organization  of  the  infant  navy  of  the  United 
States,  in  1775,  John  Paul  Jones  received  the  appointment  of  first 
of  the  first  lieutenants  in  the  service,  in  which,  in  his  station  on 
the  flag-ship  Alfred,  he  claimed  the  honor  of  being  the  foremost 
on  the  approach  of  the  Commander-in-Chief,  Commodore  Hopkins, 
to  raise  the  new  American  flag.  This  was  the  old  device  of  a  rattle- 
snake coiled  on  a  yellow  ground,  with  the  motto,  'Don't  tread  on 
me/  which  is  yet  partially  retained  in  the  seal  of  the  war-office. 
*  *  *  By  the  resolution  of  June  14,  1777,  he  was  appointed 
to  the  Eanger,  newly  built  at  Portsmouth — a  second  instance  of  the 
kind — had  the  honor  of  hoisting  for  the  first  time  the  new  flag  of 
the  Stars  and  Stripes." 

HEADS  OF  THE  ARMY  AND  NAVY. 

It  was  Fredericksburg  that  gave  to  the  country  the  head  of  the 
armies  of  the  United  States  in  the  great  war  for  independence,  in 
the  person  of  the  peerless  Washington,  and  also  furnished  the  great- 
est naval  commander  of  that  war  in  the  person  of  the  dauntless 
John  Paul  Jones.  In  addition  to  Washington,  the  small  town  of 
Fredericksburg  sent  to  the  field  during  the  great  Eevolution  five 
other  generals — Gen.  Hugh  Mercer,  Gen.  George  Weedon,  Gen. 
Wm.  Woodford,  Gen.  Thomas  Posey  and  Gen.  Gustavus  B.  Wal- 
lace, besides  many  officers  of  the  line  of  high  rank. 

MADISON  THE  FATHER  OF  THE  CONSTITUTION. 

It  was  James  Madison,  of  Orange  county,  a  Virginian,  born  a  few 
miles   below   Fredericksburg,   at   Port   Conway,   in   King   George 


302  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

county,  who  gave  that  wonderful  instrument,  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States,  to  the  country,  that  has  been  described  as  the 
"grand  palladium  of  our  liberty,  the  golden  chain  of  our  union, 
the  broad  banner  of  freemen,  a  terror  to  tyrants  and  a  shining  light 
to  patriots." 

Hon.  James  D.  Richardson,  of  Tennessee,  in  his  great  work  of 
compiling  the  messages  and  papers  of  the  Presidents,  with  short 
biographical  sketches  of  each,  after  recounting  the  labors,  works 
and  achievements  of  Mr.  Madison,  says:  "It  was  not  for  these 
things  or  any  of  them  his  fame  is  to  endure.  His  act  and  policy 
in  the  framing  of  the  marvellous  instrument,  the  constitution  of  our 
country,  his  matchless  advocacy  of  it  with  his  voice  and  pen,  and 
his  adherence  to  its  provisions  at  all  times  and  in  all  exigencies, 
obtained  for  him  the  proudest  title  ever  bestowed  upon  a  man,  the 
title  of  the  'Father  of  the  Constitution.'  It  is  for  this  'act  and 
policy'  he  will  be  remembered  by  posterity." 

JUDGE  WALLACE  OX  THE  CONSTITUTION. 

Hon.  A.  Wellington  Wallace,  at  one  time  Judge  of  the  Corpora- 
tion Court  of  Fredericksburg,  contributes  for  this  work  the  follow- 
ing paper  on  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States : 

"No  historical  sketch  of  Fredericksburg  and  its  locality 
would  be  complete  without  at  least  an  epitome  of  the  constitu- 
tional form  of  government  of  the  United  States;  for  within  a 
radius  of  seventy-five  miles  from  Fredericksburg  were  reared  the 
leading  men  who  inspired  the  Federal  Constitution.  There  are 
few,  if  any,  similar  areas  in  magnitude  that  can  furnish,  in  one 
epoch  of  time,  such  a  splendid  galaxy  of  names.  George  Washing- 
ton, Richard  Henry  Lee,  James  Madison,  Patrick  Henry,  John 
Blair,  George  Wythe,  Edmund  Randolph,  and  George  Mason,  the 
deputies  appointed  by  Virginia  to  frame  the  Federal  Constitution, 
were  natives  of  this  territory. 

"The  inspiration  given  to  the  men  of  the  age  when  our  constitu- 
tion was  framed,  was  a  wonder  to  the  world.  No  nation  had  ever  at- 
tempted by  a  written  paper  to  provide  a  fundamental  basis  for 
government  to  last  for  all  time  and  to  provide  for  every  emergency 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  303 

which  might  arise.  The  British  Constitution,  which  had  been 
the  maternal  chart  of  government  before  the  Eevolution,  was  a 
collective  name  for  the  principles  of  public  policy  on  which  the 
government  of  the  United  Kingdom  was  based.  It  was  not  formu- 
lated in  any  document,  but  the  gradual  development  of  the  poli- 
tical intelligence  of  the  English  people,  resulting  from  concessions 
from  the  Crown,  successive  revolutions,  numerous  enactments  of 
Parliament  and  from  the  established  principles  of  the  common 
law.  But  here  in  this  new  country,  by  young  men,  born  in  the 
territory  around  Fredericksburg,  was  inaugurated  a  departure  from 
the  traditions  of  our  ancestors  to  govern  by  a  written  fundamental 
law,  a  nation,  whose  progress  thereunder  has  been  phenomenal  and 
has  been,  and  will  ever  be,  a  continuing  cause  of  astonishment  to 
the  civilized  world. 

"As  has  been  stated  in  this  chapter,  the  Constitution  of  Vir- 
ginia, of  1777,  drawn  by  George  Mason,  was  the  first  written 
constitution.  Subsequently,  the  several  colonies  that  revolted 
against  Great  Britain,  entered  into  written  articles  of  confederation 
for  the  common  defense  and  for  government  in  time  of  war,  but 
when  the  independence  of  the  United  States  had  been  recognized 
by  Great  Britain,  these  articles  of  confederation  were  found  totally 
inadequate  for  the  powers  of  government. 

"The  power  of  making  war,  peace  and  treaties,  of  levying  money 
and  regulating  commerce  and  the  corresponding  judicial  and  exe- 
cutive authorities,  were  not  fully  and  effectually  vested  in  the 
Federal  Union ;  so  it  became  necessary  that  the  freed  colonies  should 
either  become  weak,  independent  sovereignties,  or  should  be  bound 
together  by  stronger  obligations,  and,  that  for  the  general  welfare, 
the  separate  sovereignties  should  surrender  certain  rights  and  pow- 
ers to  central  control.  With  a  view  to  this  object,  on  the  21st  day 
of  January,  1786,  a  resolution  passed  the  Legislature  of  Virginia 
for  the  appointment  of  five  commissioners,  any  three  of  whom 
might  act,  to  meet  similar  commissioners  from  other  States  of  the 
Union;  and,  under  this  resolution,  the  commissioners  appointed 
fixed  the  first  meeting  in  September  following  as  the  time,  and 
the  city  of  Annapolis,  Maryland,  as  the  place  of  meeting. 


304  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

"Edmund  Randolph,  James  Madison  and  Saint  George  Tucker 
attended,  representing  Virginia,  and,  as  a  result  of  this  conference 
a  convention  was  called  of  all  the  States,  to  be  held  in  Philadelphia, 
on  the  25th  day  of  May,  1787,  and  to  that  convention  Virginia 
sent  the  deputies  mentioned  before  in  this  paper,  and,  of  these 
deputies,  George  Washington  was  chosen  president  of  the  assembled 
body.  An  extended  account  of  the  proceedings  of  that  convention 
would  be  inappropriate  in  this  brief  narration.  It  is  sufficient 
to  state  that  the  convention  adjourned,  having  completed  its  work 
on  the  17th  day  of  September,  following  its  meeting,  and  that  while 
all  the  Virginia  delegates  assisted  in  the  work  of  the  convention, 
only  three  of  the  delegates,  George  Washington,  James  Madison 
and  James  Blair,  signed  the  Constitution. 

"The  Constitution  went  into  effect  on  the  4th  day  of  March,  1789, 
although  George  Washington,  the  first  President  of  the  United 
States  under  it,  was  not  inaugurated  until  the  13th  day  of  April- — 
eleven  of  the  thirteen  States  having  ratified  it,  the  others,  North 
Carolina  and  Rhode  Island,  not  ratifying,  the  former  until  Novem- 
ber 21,  1789,  and  the  latter  until  May  29,  1790. 

"The  Constitution  is  a  document  comprised  in  seven  original 
articles  and  fifteen  amendments.  Of  the  original  articles  the  first 
deals  with  the  legislative  body,  prescribing  the  mode  of  election  to 
the  House  of  Representatives  and  the  Senate,  the  qualifications  of 
members,  the  method  by  which  bills  shall  be  passed,  and  those  sub- 
jects on  which  Congress  shall  be  qualified  to  act.  The  second  re- 
lates to  the  Executive  Department,  prescribing  the  method  of  elec- 
tion and  qualifications  and  duties  of  the  President.  The  third  re- 
lates to  the  Judicial  Department,  providing  for  the  Supreme  Court 
and  such  other  inferior  courts  as  Congress  may  think  necessary. 
The  fourth  deals  with  the  relations  of  the  Federal  Government 
and  the  separate  States,  and  provides  for  the  admission  of  new 
States.  The  fifth  relates  to  the  power  and  method  of  amendments 
to  the  Constitution;  the  sixth  to  the  National  Supremacy,  and  the 
seventh  to  the  establishment  of  the  government  upon  the  ratifica- 
tion of  the  Constitution  by  nine  of  the  States. 

"The  amendments,  according  to  one  of  the  methods  provided, 


Shiloh  Baptist  Church,  New  Site  (colored.) 
(See  page  215) 


The  Church  of  God  and  Disciples  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ 

(colored.) 

(See  page  216) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  305 

were  proposed  by  Congress  and  ratified  by  the  States.  The  first 
twelve  were  submitted  under  acts  passed  in  1789,  1790,  1793  and 
1803,  and  the  last  three  after  the  Civil  war,  under  acts  of  1865, 
1868  and  1870.  The  most  important  of  the  amendments  are  the 
twelfth,  which  changed  the  method  of  electing  the  President  and 
Vice-President  to  the  existing  method;  the  thirteenth,  which 
abolishes  slavery ;  the  fourteenth,  which  disqualifies  any  one  who  has 
been  engaged  in  rebellion  against  the  government  from  holding 
office,  unless  his  disqualification  has  been  removed  by  Congress,  and 
prevents  the  assumption  and  payment  of  any  debt  incurred  in  aid 
of  rebellion;  and  the  fifteenth,  which  prohibits  the  denial  to  any 
one  the  right  to  vote  because  of  race,  color  or  previous  condition  of 
servitude. 

"This  is  an  epitome  of  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  by 
virtue  of  which  the  government  has  been  maintained  to  the  present 
time;  and  the  principles  laid  down  therein  were,  to  a  very  large 
extent,  the  suggestions  of  the  men  we  have  mentioned  from  the 
locality  of  Fredericksburg.  The  Eepublic  based  upon  this  Consti- 
tution was  an  experiment,  but  it  has,  for  more  than  a  century, 
withstood  the  most  terrific  shocks  of  the  most  troublous  times.  It 
has  waged  foreign  wars  successfully;  wild  party  spirit  has  always 
been  foiled  in  efforts  to  undermine  it;  the  bloodiest  internecine 
strife  in  the  world's  history,  sustained  on  both  sides  by  unsurpassed 
valor,  has  but  cemented  its  strength  and  prosperity  at  home  and  its 
power  and  prestige  abroad;  from  thirteen  small,  feeble  colonies, 
it  has  become  a  great  nation  of  nearly  eighty  millions  of  people, 
its  domain  not  only  spreading  from  ocean  to  ocean,  but  extending 
far  over  the  seas,  and  the  protecting  aegis  of  the  Constitution,  and 
the  laws  passed  thereunder,  guarding  every  race  from  every  clime. 

"No  more  splendid  apostrophe  to  the  Constitution  could  be  added 
than  the  tribute  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  of  England,  the  ablest  advocate 
of  human  rights  the  century  just  closed  has  produced,  when  he 
said,  in  substance,  that  it  was  the  grandest  and  greatest  compendium 
of  principles  that  had  ever  emanated  from  the  brain,  or  been  writ- 
ten down  by  the  pen,  of  man." 
20 


CHAPTER  XXI 

The  First  Proclamation  for  Public  Thanksgiving — Pennsylvania 
Whiskey  Rebellion — John  Marshall  and  the  Supreme  Court — 
Religious  Liberty — The  Monroe  Doctrine — Seven  Presidents — 
Clarke  Saves  the  Great  Northwest — The  Northwest  Explored — 
Louisiana  Purchase — Texas  Acquired — Mexico  Adds  to  Our 
Territory — The  Oceans  Measured,  Sounded  and  Mapped — 
The  Ladies'  Memorial  Association — The  Mary  Washington 
Monument,  &c. 

This  chapter  is  taken  up  with  a  continuation  and  conclusion  of 
the  subjects  of  the  last  two  chapters — that  is,  a  brief  reference  to 
what  has  been  accomplished  for  the  country  by  the  giant  minds,  and 
through  the  dangerous  and  daring  exploits  of  the  men  who  lived  in 
Fredericksburg  and  within  a  radius  of  seventy-five  miles  of  Fred- 
ericksburg; therefore  no  farther  introduction  to  the  chapter  is 
necessary. 

FIRST  THANKSGIVING  PROCLAMATION. 

It  was  Richard  Henry  Lee,  of  Westmoreland  county,  a  Virginian, 
styled  the  Cicero  of  America,  who  wrote  the  first  proclamation  for 
public  thanksgiving  in  this  country.  Congress,  with  the  govern- 
ment, had  moved  from  Lancaster,  in  Pennsylvania,  where  it  had 
gone  for  safety,  to  York,  in  the  same  State,  then  containing  about 
1,500  inhabitants.  At  that  time  the  chief  cities  in  the  country 
were  in  the  hands  of  the  enemy,  except  Richmond  and  Savannah, 
and  the  American  army — again  defeated  at  Germantown — retreat- 
ing before  a  victorious  enemy.  Congress  had  been  in  session  for 
nine  months  in  York  in  the  years  1777  and  1778,  and  while  there 
heard  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne,  adopted  the  Articles 
of  Confederation,  received  the  news  from  Benjamin  Franklin  at 
Paris  of  the  decision  of  the  French  government  to  aid  the  Ameri- 
cans in  their  struggle  for  liberty,  and  issued  the  first  national 
thanksgiving  proclamation. 

The  President  of  Congress  appointed  Richard  Henry  Lee,  of 

306  ] 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  307 

Virginia,  with  Samuel  Adams,  of  Massachusetts,  and  Gen.  Kober- 
deau,  of  Pennsylvania,  to  draft  the  proclamation.  It  was  written 
by  Mr.  Lee,  and  for  its  beauty  and  comprehensiveness,  and  being 
the  first  paper  of  the  kind  ever  prepared  and  issued  by  authority  in 
this  country,  it  will,  we  are  sure,  be  regarded  with  interest  and 
veneration.     It  is  as  follows : 

"For  inasmuch  as  it  is  the  indispensable  duty  of  all  men  to  adore 
the  superintending  providence  of  Almighty  God,  to  acknowledge, 
with  gratitude,  their  obligations  for  benefits  received,  and  to  im- 
plore such  further  blessings  as  they  stand  in  need  of ;  and  it  having 
pleased  him,  in  his  abundant  mercy,  not  only  to  continue  to  us  the- 
many  blessings  of  his  common  providence,  but  also  to  smile  upon  us 
in  the  prosecution  of  just  and  necessary  war,  for  the  defence  and 
establishment  of  our  rights  and  liberties;  particularly  that  he  has 
been  pleased,  in  so  great  a  measure,  to  prosper  the  means  used  for 
the  support  of  our  troops  and  to  crown  our  arms  with  signal  success. 

"It  is,  therefore,  recommended  to  the  legislatures,  or  executives, 
powers  of  these  United  States,  to  set  apart  Thursday,  the  18th  of 
December  next,  for  solemn  thanksgiving  and  praise ;  that  with  one 
heart  and  one  voice  the  people  of  this  country  may  express  their 
grateful  reverence,  and  consecrate  themselves  to  the  service  of  their 
divine  benefactor,  and  that  together,  with  their  sincere  acknowledg- 
ments, they  may  join  in  a  penitent  confession  of  their  manifold 
sins,  whereby  they  had  forfeited  every  favor,  and  their  humble  and 
earnest  supplication  may  be  that  it  may  please  God,  through  the  , 
merits  of  Jesus  Christ,  mercifully  to  forgive  and  blot  them  out  of 
remembrance ;  that  it  may  please  him  graciously  to  shower  his  bless- 
ings on  the  government  of  these  States,  respectively,  and  to  prosper 
the  public  council  of  the  whole  United  States ;  to  inspire  our  com- 
manders, both  by  land  and  sea,  and  all  under  them,  with  that  wis- 
dom and  fortitude  which  may  render  them  fit  instruments,  under 
the  providence  of  Almighty  God,  to  secure  for  these  United  States 
the  greatest  of  all  blessings — independence  and  peace;  that  it  may 
please  him  to  prosper  the  trade  and  manufactures  of  the  people, 
and  the  labor  of  the  husbandman,  that  our  land  may  yield  its  in- 
crease; to  protect  schools  and  seminaries  of  learning,  so  necessary 


308  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

for  cultivating  the  principles  of  true  liberty,  virtue  and  piety,  under 
his  nurturing  hand,  and  to  prosper  the  means  of  religion  for  the 
promotion  and  enlargement  of  the  kingdom  which  consists  of  right- 
eousness, peace  and  joy  in  the  Holy  Ghost. 

"It  is  further  recommended  that  all  servile  labor  and  such  recrea- 
tion as  at  other  times  innocent  may  be  unbecoming  the  purpose  of 
this  appointment  on  so  solemn  an  occasion." 

This  historic  document  was  adopted  by  Congress  on  the  30th  of 
October,  1777,  and  sent  to  the  governors  of  the  respective  States  on 
the  1st  of  November  by  the  President  of  the  Congress,  Henry 
Lawrens,  of  South  Carolina,  who  had  just  been  elected  to  fill  the 
vacancy  caused  by  the  resignation  of  John  Hancock,  of  Massachu- 
setts. 

THE  WHISKEY  REBELLION. 

It  was  Henry  Lee,  of  Westmoreland  county,  a  Virginian,  known 
through  the  war  for  independence  as  "Light  Horse  Harry,"  who,  in 
1792,  crushed  out  the  Whiskey  Rebellion  in  Pennsylvania  and  re- 
stored order  to  the  four  counties  in  rebellion.  He  was  at  the  time 
Governor  of  Virginia,  and  was  in  command  of  15,000  troops,  raised 
by  special  requisition  of  President  Washington  from  the  States  of 
Virginia,  Pennsylvania,  Maryland  and  New  Jersey.  It  was  this 
Henry  Lee  who  delivered  the  funeral  oration  in  Congress  on 
Washington,  in  which  he  used  those  words  which  will  last  in  history 
as  long  as  the  memory  of  Washington  shall  be  revered,  "He  was  first 
in  war,  first  in  peace  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen." 

CHIEF  JUSTICE   MARSHALL  AND  SUPREME  COURT. 

It  was  John  Marshall,  of  Fauquier  county,  a  Virginian,  who,  by 
his  great  ability  and  firmness  of  character,  brought  the  Supreme 
Court  up  from  a  tribunal  of  little  importance  and  consequence  to 
one  of  great  dignity  and  to  one  equal  in  power  and  importance  with 
the  executive  and  legislative  branches  of  the  government.  He  did 
more — he  established  not  only  the  fact  that  the  Supreme  Court  was 
the  proper  tribunal  to  declare  what  was  and  what  was  not  law, 
under  the  Constitution,  but  it  was  to  set  limits  to  the  powers  and 
prerogatives  of  the  chief  executive  himself. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  309 

In  an  address  on  the  Supreme  Court  by  Justice  Brown  in  189G, 
he  said:  "The  Constitution  had  been  adopted  by  the  vote  of  the 
thirteen  States  of  the  Union,  but  its  construction  was  a  work 
scarcely  less  important  than  its  original  creation.  With  a  large 
liberty  of  choice,  guided  by  no  precedents,  and  generally  unham- 
pered by  his  colleagues  upon  the  bench,  the  great  Chief  Justice 
(Marshall)  determined  what  was  law  by  what  he  thought  it  ought  to 
be,  evolved  from  his  own  experience  of  the  defects  of  the  Articles 
of  Confederation  and  from  an  innate  consciousness  of  what  the 
country  required,  a  theory  of  construction  which  time  has  vindi- 
cated and  the  popular  sentiment  of  succeeding  generations  has 
approved.  In  the  case  of  Mar  bury  against  Madison,  which  arose 
at  his  very  first  term,  he  declared  the  judicial  power  to  extend  to 
the  annulment  of  an  act  of  Congress  in  conflict  with  the  Constitu- 
tion, a  doctrine  peculiar  to  this  country,  but  so  commending  itself 
to  the  common  sense  of  justice  as  to  have  been  incorporated  in 
the  jurisprudence  of  every  State  in  the  Union.  The  lack  of  this 
check  upon  the  action  of  the  Legislature  has  wrecked  the  constitu- 
tion of  many  a  foreign  State,  and  it  is  safe  to  say  that  our  own 
would  not  have  long  survived  a  contrary  decision.  Had  Marshall 
rendered  no  other  service  to  the  country,  this  of  itself  would  have 
been  sufficient  to  entitle  him  to  its  gratitude."  And  Judge  A.  W. 
Wallace,  writing  of  Justice  Marshall,  said :  "By  his  canons  of  con- 
struction he  fortified  the  foundations  of  the  Constitution  and 
builded  thereon  the  jurispudence  of  the  United  States — whose 
opinions,  nearly  a  century  old,  stand,  like  a  great  sea-wall,  breast- 
ing every  billow  of  political  frenzy  that  has  threatened  to  engulf 
the  safety,  permanence  and  perpetuity  of  our  institutions." 

RELIGIOUS  LIBERTY. 

It  was  Thomas  Jefferson,  of  Albemarle  county,  a  Virginian,  who 
wrote  the  act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  Virginia,  passed  on  the 
26th  day  of  December,  1785,  establishing  religious  liberty  in  Vir- 
ginia, which  has  been  adopted,  or  a  law  of  similar  import,  by  every 
State  in  the  United  States,  and  made  a  part  of  the  Constitution  of 
the  United  States,  by  the  first  amendment  made  to  that  instrument. 


310  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

It  is  one  of  the  grandest  achievements  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  and  stamps 
him  as  a  patriot  who  could  and  did  rise  superior  to  his  environ- 
ments and  surroundings,  and  even  his  predilections  and  life-long 
attachments,  and  secure  to  the  people,  by  a  law  which  he  expressed 
the  hope  would  never  be  repealed,  their  rights  in  matters  of  con- 
science as  to  religion  and  the  worship  of  their  God.  It  has  per- 
meated this  whole  country,  and  its  influence  is  felt  more  or  less 
throughout  Christendom,  and  as  a  little  leaven  will  leaven  the  whole 
lump,  so  its  influence  is  still  at  work  and  time  only  can  tell  what 
it  shall  accomplish. 

The  act  was  written  in  Fredericksburg,  and,  omitting  the  long 
preamble,  which  is  written  in  Mr.  Jefferson's  best  and  most  vigor- 
ous style,  is  as  follows :  "That  no  man  shall  be  compelled  to  fre- 
quent or  support  any  religious  worship,  place  or  ministry  whatso- 
ever, nor  shall  be  inforced,  restrained,  molested  or  burthened,  in 
his  body  or  goods,  nor  shall  otherwise  suffer  on  account  of  his  re- 
ligious opinions  or  belief ;  but  that  all  men  shall  be  free  to  profess, 
and  by  argument  to  maintain,  their  opinions  in  matters  of  religion, 
and  that  the  same  shall  in  no  wise  diminish,  enlarge  or  affect  their 
eivil  capacities/' 

THE  MONROE  DOCTRINE. 

It  was  James  Monroe,  a  native  of  Westmoreland  county,  but  for 
years  a  citizen  of  Fredericksburg,  a  Virginian,  who  announced  the 
American  principle,  known  as  the  "Monroe  Doctrine"  that  declared 
that  no  foreign  power  should  acquire  territory  on  this  continent, 
which  has  been  the  guiding  principle  of  the  United  States  govern- 
ment since  its  enunciation,  and  which  has  been  the  safeguard  to 
all  the  governments  of  this  hemisphere. 

The  Monroe  doctrine  and  the  causes  that  called  it  forth,  are 
succinctly  stated  in  volume  10  of  the  "Messages  and  Papers  of  the 
Presidents,"  and  are  as  follows :  "After  the  overthrow  of  Napo- 
leon, France,  Russia,  Prussia  and  Austria  formed  the  so-called 
Holy  Alliance  in  September,  1815,  for  the  suppression  of  revolu- 
tions within  each  other's  dominions  and  for  perpetuating  peace. 
The  Spanish  colonies  in  America  having  revolted,  it  was  rumored 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  311 

that  this  alliance  contemplated  their  subjugation,  although  the 
United  States  had  acknowledged  their  independence.  George  Can- 
ning, English  Secretary  of  State,  proposed  that  England  and 
America  unite  to  oppose  such  intervention.  On  consultation  with 
Jefferson,  Madison,  John  Quincy  Adams  and  Calhoun,  Monroe,  in 
his  annual  message  to  Congress  in  1823,  embodied  the  conclusions 
of  these  deliberations  in  what  has  since  been  known  as  the  Monroe 
Doctrine.  Eeferring  to  the  threatened  intervention  of  the  powers, 
the  message  declares:  'We  owe  it,  therefore,  to  candor  and  to  the 
amicable  relations  existing  between  the  United  States  and  those 
powers  to  declare  that  we  should  consider  any  attempt  on  their 
part  to  extend  their  system  to  any  portion  of  this  hemisphere  as 
dangerous  to  our  peace  and  safety.  With  the  existing  colonies  or 
dependencies  of  any  European  power  we  have  not  interfered  and 
shall  not  interfere.  But  with  the  governments  who  have  declared 
their  independence  and  maintained  it,  and  whose  independence  we 
have,  on  great  consideration  and  on  just  principles,  acknowledged, 
we  could  not  view  any  interposition  for  the  purpose  of  oppressing 
them,  or  controlling  in  any  other  manner  their  destiny,  by  any 
European  power  in  any  other  light  than  as  the  manifestation  of  an 
unfriendly  disposition  toward  the  United  States/  " 

ESTABLISHED  THE  YOUNG  REPUBLIC. 

And  furthermore:  Not  only  did  Fredericksburg  and  vicinity 
furnish  the  leader  of  the  American  armies  to  victory  and  independ- 
ence, and  the  leading  spirit  in  the  navy ;  not  only  did  they  furnish 
the  author  of  the  Declaration  of  Independence  and  the  Father  of 
the  Constitution,  but  they  furnished  the  Presidents  of  the  United 
States  for  thirty-two  years  of  the  most  trying  and  difficult  part  of 
the  history  of  the  Eepublic, — it  being  the  formative  period  of  an 
experiment, — except  the  four  years  of  John  Adams's  administration, 
during  which  but  little,  if  any,  progress  was  made.  Washington 
was  the  first  President,  serving  eight  years;  Jefferson  succeeding 
Adams,  who  served  eight  years ;  then  Madison  eight  years,  followed 
by  James  Monroe  for  eight  years,  thus  making  the  thirty-two  years. 
Besides   these  four  Presidents,   Virginia  furnished  three  others, 


312  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

who  lived  or  were  born  within  the  circle  of  seventy-five  miles  of 
Fredericksburg,  namely,  Wm.  Henry  Harrison,  John  Tyler  and 
Zachary  Taylor.  It  is  rather  remarkable  that  both  Harrison  and 
Tyler  should  have  been  born  in  Charles  City  county,  Virginia, 
elected  on  the  same  ticket,  Harrison,  who  had  moved  to  Ohio,  as 
President,  and  Tyler  as  Vice-President,  the  death  of  the  former 
just  one  month  after  his  inauguration,  elevating  Tyler  to  the  Presi- 
dency.    President  Taylor  was  born  in  Orange  county. 

THE  GREAT  NORTHWEST  RECLAIMED. 

It  was  George  Eodgers  Clarke,*  of  Albemarle  county,  a  Virginian 
and  a  Fredericksburg  man,  by  the  authority  of  Virginia's  Governor, 
Patrick  Henry,  with  volunteers  from  Virginia  and  Kentucky,  ex- 
plored and  conquered  the  great  Northwest  Territory.  This  terri- 
tory belonged  to  Virginia  under  original  grant  in  her  charter,  but 
the  British  at  this  time  held  it,  established  strong  posts  there  and 
encouraged  the  Indians  to  make  war  on  the  white  settlements.  The 
Continental  Congress  could  spare  no  troops  to  reclaim  this  terri- 
tory, though  appealed  to  by  Virginia  to  do  so.  For  this  dangerous 
task  Geo.  R.  Clarke  proffered  his  services,  which  were  accepted  by 
the  Governor.  Enlisting  volunteers,  he  marched  into  that  region, 
and  by  real  ability,  rare  skill,  heroic  courage  and  patience  in  bear- 
ing every  hardship  and  privation,  captured  Forts  Kaskaskia  and 
Vincennes  and  other  posts,  and  floated  the  flag  of  Virginia  over 
the  whole  of  the  Northwest  Territory,  it  being  designated  Illinois 
county,  Virginia. 

This  campaign  cleared  that  entire  country  of  the  British,  and 
secured  to  Virginia  a  clear  title  to  that  vast  territory,  out  of  which 
the  States  of  Ohio,  Illinois,  Indiana,  Wisconsin,  Michigan  and  a 
part  of  Minnesota  were  afterwards  carved,  and  which  Virginia 
gave  to  the  Union  as  a  free-will  offering,  the  most  imperial  gift 
that  State  or  nation  ever  laid  on  the  altar  of  country. f 

•  A  son  of  Jonathan  Clarke,  who  lived  at  Newmarket,  In  Spotsylvania  county, 
and  afterwards  moved  to  Fredericksburg.     For  many  years  he  was  clerk  of  the 
county    court    of    Spotsylvania.     George  Rodgers    Clarke    Is    said    to   have    been 
born  while  his  father  lived  at  Newmarket. — A  letter  from  a  descendant. 
Jones's  U.  S.  History. 


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History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  313 

Senator  Daniel  W.  Voorhees,  of  Indiana,  in  his  defence  of 
Cook,  at  Charlestown,  now  West  Virginia,  in  1859,  one  of  the  John 
Brown  raiders,  said  in  his  opening  remarks : 

"The  very  soil  on  which  I  live,  in  my  western  home,  was  once 
owned  by  this  venerable  Commonwealth,  as  much  as  the  soil  on 
which  I  now  stand.  Her  laws  there  once  prevailed,  and  all  her 
institutions  were  there  established  as  they  are  here.  Not  only  my 
own  State  of  Indiana,  but  also  four  other  great  States  in  the 
Northwest,  stand  as  enduring  and  lofty  monuments  of  Virginia's 
magnanimity  and  princely  liberality.  Her  donation  to  the  general 
government  made  them  sovereign  States;  and  since  God  gave  the 
fruitful  land  of  Canaan  to  Moses  and  Israel,  such  a  gift  of  present 
or  future  empire  has  never  been  made  to  any  people." 

THE  WEST  EXPLORED. 

It  was  Meriwether  Lewis,  of  Albemarle,  and  Wm.  Clarke,*  of 
Fredericksburg,  both  Virginians,  who  explored  that  great  stretch  of 
country  from  the  Mississippi  river  to  the  Pacific  ocean,  and  made 
it  less  difficult  for  John  C.  Fremont,  who  afterwards  explored  the 
same  territory  and  received  the  proud  appellation  of  the  "Great  Path 
Finder,"  which  appellation  rightly  belonged  to  Lewis  and  Clarke. 

THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE. 

It  was  Thomas  Jefferson,  of  Albemarle  county,  a  Virginian,  who, 
while  President  of  the  United  States,  made  the  "Louisiana  Pur- 
chase," which  brought  to  the  possession  of  the  United  States  more 
than  one  million  square  miles  of  territory.  This  immense  territory 
belonged  to  the  French  government.  It  embraced  the  present 
States  of  Louisiana,  Arkansas,  Missouri,  Nebraska,  Iowa,  Indian 
Territory,  North  and  South  Dakota,  Montana,  and  parts  of  Kan- 
sas, Minnesota,  Wyoming  and  Colorado.  The  price  paid  was 
$11,250,000  in  money  and  the  assumption  by  the  government  of 
debts  due  our  citizens  by  France,  amounting  to  $3,750,000,  making 
in  all  $15,000,000. 


•  Capt.  Wm.  Clarke  was  a  Fredericksburg  man.     He  was  a  son  of  Jonathan 

C'arke,  of  Fredericksburg,  who  was  clerk  of  Spotsylvania  county  court.     He  was, 

therefore,  a  brother  of  General   Geo.  Rodgers  Clarke,   who  conquered  the  great 

rthwest  territory. — A  letter  from  a  descendant  of  Wm.  Clarke.    See  also  Maury's 

•  lstory  of  Virginia,  page  158. 


314  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

The  purchase  of  this  vast  territory  was  bitterly  opposed, — as  all 
acquisitions  of  territory  by  the  United  States  have  been — especially 
in  New  England,  where  they  threatened  to  secede  from  the  Union, 
if  it  was  consummated,  and  the  legislation  of  Massachusetts  passed 
and  sent  to  the  President  and  Speaker  of  the  House  a  resolution 
to  the  effect  that  they  would  consider  the  adding  of  the  Louisiana 
territory,  to  the  domain  of  the  United  States,  just  cause  for  exer- 
cising their  right  of  secession.* 

THE  FLORIDA  PURCHASE. 

It  was  James  Monroe,  of  Fredericksburg,  a  Virginian,  who  pur- 
chased Florida  from  the  Spanish  government  for  $5,000,000,  a  land 
of  "Fruits  and  Flowers/'  and  a  favorite  health  resort  for  winter 
tourists  from  all  parts  of  the  country.  Its  Spanish  name  Pascua 
Florida,  translated,  means  Flowery  Easter,  which  indicates  that  in 
Florida  the  flower  season  is  perpetual. 

ACQUISITION  OF  TEXAS. 

It  was  Sam  Houston,  of  Rockbridge  county,  a  Virginian,  who 
wrested  the  great  State  of  Texas  from  Mexico  and  afterwards 
ceded  it  to  the  United  States,  John  Tyler,  of  Charles  City  county, 
a  Virginian,  signing  the  bills  for  its  admission  three  days  before 
his  presidential  term  ended.  By  this  acquisition  the  government 
added  to  its  possessions  territory  sufficient,  it  is  said,  to  furnish 
comfortable  homes  for  the  present  population  of  the  United  States, 
which  would  then  be  less  crowded  than  many  of  the  States  of 
Europe. 

THE  MEXICAN   WAR. 

It  was  Gen.  Winfield  Scott,  of  Dinwiddie  county,  a  Virginian, 
and  Gen.  Zachary  Taylor  (Rough  and  Ready),  of  Orange  county, 
also  a  Virginian,  who  subdued  Mexico,  by  which  there  were  added 
to  the  territory  of  the  United  States  the  great  States  of  California, 
Arizona  and  New  Mexico. 

And  thus  it  will  be  seen,  that  all  of  the  territory  acquired  by  the 
United  States  Government,  from  the  union  of  the  colonies  for  the 


•  Jones's  U.  S.  History. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  315 

common  defence  to  the  purchase  of  Alaska,  except  the  Gadsden 
purchase,  was  secured  through  Virginians,  who  were  born  and 
raised,  and  many  of  them  at  the  time  lived,  in  or  near  Fredericks- 
burg. 

COMMODORE  F.  M.   MAURY. 

It  was  Matthew  Fontaine  Maury,  of  Spotsylvania  county,  and 
later  a  resident  of  Fredericksburg,  a  Virginian,  who  marked  out 
the  tracks  of  speed  and  safety  for  mariners  of  every  clime  over  the 
ocean's  bosom,  and  showed  the  beds  on  the  bottom  of  the  seas, 
where  the  cable  lines  now  safely  lie,  of  whom  all  the  officers  of  the 
maritime  nations  came  to  learn,  on  whom  kings  and  emperors 
bestowed  orders,  medals  and  decorations,  and  of  whom  the  great 
Humboldt  said  he  had  created  a  new  science.* 

The  following  paper,  on  this  great  man's  life,  character  and 
achievements,  to  whom  the  world  is  so  greatly  indebted,  was  pre 
pared  by  Rev.  J.  S.  Dill,  D.  D.,  then  a  resident  of  this  place,  and 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  for  this  volume : 

"On  the  14th  of  January,  1806,  only  ten  miles  from  the  city 
of  Fredericksburg,  in  the  county  of  Spotsylvania,  was  born  Matthew 
Fontaine  Maury.  He  came  of  goodly  stock,  for  there  mingled 
in  his  nature,  in  equal  parts,  the  sturdy  religious  life  of  the  French 
Huguenots  and  the  gallantry  of  the  English  Cavalier.  On  his 
mother's  side  he  belonged  to  the  Minor  family,  of  Virginia,  while 
his  name  testifies  that  his  paternal  ancestors  were  among  those  who, 
from  the  persecutions  of  France,  stretched  their  arms  to  the  New 
World. 

"When  Maury  was  five  years  old,  his  parents  emigrated  to  Ten- 
nessee and  settled  near  the  present  town  of  Franklin.  Thus,  in  the 
primeval  forests  of  Tennessee,  far  away  from  the  ocean's  tuneful 
chant,  there  grew  up  the  lad,  who  was  to  become  'The  Pathfinder  of 
the  Seas.' 

"The  early  educational  advantages  of  young  Maury  were  but 
scant.  An  accident,  disqualifying  him  for  farm  service,  gave  him 
his  best,  opportunity  at  an  academy,  and  this  he  did  not  fail  to  use. 

•  General  D.  H.  Maury's  History  of  Va. 


316  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Maury  looked  to  the  army  for  a  profession,  but  his  parents  denied 
him.  When,  without  their  knowledge,  he  then  secured  his  appoint- 
ment to  the  navy,  they  again  objected,  and  he  left  home  without 
his  father's  blessing.  In  1825,  an  inland  lad  of  nineteen  years, 
Maury  was  assigned  to  duty  as  a  midshipman  on  the  Brandywine. 
It  became  evident  that  he  had  resolved  to  master  his  profession, 
and  his  promotion  was  rapid.  In  1831  he  was  appointed  master 
of  the  sloop  of  war  Falmouth,  which  was  ordered  to  Pacific  waters. 
Diligently  he  sought  information  as  to  the  best  track  for  his  vessel. 
Finding  no  reliable  chart  for  his  guidance,  he  realized  the  need  of 
such  help  and  his  mind  began  at  once  to  grapple  with  that  problem, 
the  solution  of  which  afterwards  immortalized  him. 

WONDERFUL  WORKS  ON  NAVIGATION. 

"At  home  for  a  time  in  1834,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Ann  Hern- 
don,  of  Fredericksburg,  and  from  this  time  on  we  find  much  of  his 
family  life  woven  into  the  history  of  our  city.  On  Charlotte  street, 
between  Princess  Ann  and  Prince  Edward,  still  stands  the  house* 
where  he  lived  and  his  children  were  born.  At  this  time  he  pub- 
lished his  first  book — a  'Treatise  on  Navigation' — which  for  many 
years,  even  after  the  Civil  war,  was  made  a  text  book  in  the  naval 
academy  at  Annapolis.  His  pen  now  became  active  in  newspaper 
articles  that  startled  the  country,  and  there  even  arose  a  sentiment 
to  elevate  him  to  the  portfolio  of  Secretary  of  the  Navy. 

"In  the  fall  of  1839,  by  the  upsetting  of  the  stage  in  which  he  was 
travelling,  his  knee  was  severely  fractured.  But  this  untoward 
accident,  under  the  guiding  hand  of  God,  put  him  into  the  very 
position  in  which  he  was  to  perform  his  life-work.  His  lame  leg 
being  unseaworthy,  he  was  placed  in  charge  of  the  'Depot  of  Charts 
and  Instruments,'  at  Washington.  Here  he  grasped  his  great  op- 
portunity. Here,  at  the  capital  of  the  nation,  he  wrought  for 
twenty  years,  and  these  two  decades,  from  1841  to  1861,  mark  the 
high  tide  of  his  service  to  the  world. 

"At  Washington  Maury  found  the  vast  accumulation  of  the 
log  books'  of  the  United  States  warships,  stored  away  as  mere  rub- 


•  Pointed  out  to  the  author  by  Mrs.   Ann  Maury,  his  widow. 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  317 

bish.  This  he  utilized  as  valuable  data.  He  also  set  in  operation 
plans  for  still  more  complete  and  accurate  collections  of  all  kinds  of 
hydrographie  and  meteorologic  observations.  With  all  this  before 
him,  with  pains-taking  toil,  he  prepared  his  wonderful  'charts  and 
sailing  directions.'  His  work  took  ultimate  form  in  a  series  of  six 
'charts'  and  eight  large  folio  volumes  of  'sailing  directions/  and 
these  comprehended  all  waters,  in  every  clime,  where  fly  the  white 
sails  of  civilized  commerce. 

"The  charts  exhibit,  with  wonderful  accuracy,  the  winds  and  cur- 
rents, their  force  and  direction,  at  different  seasons,  the  temperature 
of  the  surface  waters,  the  calm  belts  and  trade  winds,  the  rains 
and  the  storms.  The  eight  volumes  of  'sailing  directions,'  are 
brim  full  of  the  most  valuable  nautical  information,  and  are  per- 
fect treasures  to  the  intelligent  seaman.  This  effected  a  revolu- 
tion in  the  art  of  navigation.  The  practical  result  was  that  the 
most  difficult  of  all  sea  voyages — that  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco,  around  Cape  Horn — has  been  shortened  by  forty  days; 
and  it  has  been  estimated,  that  in  shortening  the  time  and  lessening 
the  dangers  of  sea  voyages,  there  has  been  a  saving  to  the  world's 
commerce  of  not  less  than  $40,000,000  annually. 

"In  writing  about  these  sea  routes  he  has  mapped  out,  Maury 
has  this  to  say : '  'So  to  shape  the  course  on  voyages  as  to  make  the 
most  of  winds  and  currents  at  sea,  is  the  perfection  of  the  naviga- 
tor's art.  How  the  winds  blow  and  the  currents  flow  along  this 
route  or  that,  is  no  longer  matter  of  opinion  or  speculation.  The 
wind  and  the  weather,  daily  encountered  by  hundreds,  who  have 
sailed  the  same  voyage  before  him,  have  been  tabulated  for  the 
mariner;  nay,  his  path  has  been  literally  blazed  for  him  on  the 
sea;  mile  posts  have  been  set  upon  the  waves,  and  finger-boards 
planted  and  time-tables  furnished  for  the  trackless  waste.' 

"The  simple  'Depot  of  Charts  and  Instruments,'  over  which 
Maury  was  placed,  soon  became  the  'National  Observatory,'  with 
this  man  of  genius  as  its  superintendent.  The  vast  work  was  inter- 
national and,  in  1853,  brought  about  the  great  Brussels  confer- 
ence. On  his  return  from  this  conference,  ladened  with  honors, 
Maury  stood  before  the  world  as  the  founder  of  the  twin  sciences 


318  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

of  hydrography  and  meteorology.     No  less  a  man  than  Alexander 
von  Humboldt  declared  him  the  founder  of  a  new  science. 

FOUNDER  OF  WEATHER  BUREAU. 

"The  limits  of  this  sketch  forbid  more  than  a  bare  mention  of 
the  many  other  directions  in  which  the  genius  of  this  wonderful 
man  blessed  the  world.  The  great  Atlantic  cable,  that  flashes  the 
news  from  continent  to  continent,  is  one  of  the  radiant  sparks  that 
flew  from  his  anvil  as  he  wrought.  Cyrus  Field  declared,  at  its 
completion,  'Maury  furnished  the  brains,  England  gave  the  money, 
I  did  the  work/  He  established  the  river  gauges  of  the  Mississippi 
and  the  daily  observations  that  give  our  best  knowledge  of  that 
great  river.  He  established  the  great  circle  routes  for  ocean 
steamship  travel,  and  the  'steam  laws'  now  used  in  ocean  travel  are 
his.  He  applied  his  system  of  meteorology  to  land  as  well  as  sea, 
and  outlined  the  work  of  the  'signal  service'  and  'weather  bureau' 
of  to-day. 

"The  'National  Observatory,'  under  Maury,  comprehended  in  all 
essential  particulars  what  now  is  divided  into  no  less  than  four 
departments  at  Washington.  In  1855  Maury  published  his  popu- 
lar work  'The  Physical  Geography  of  the  Sea  and  its  Meteorology.' 
The  work  has  passed  through  twenty  editions,  and  has  found  its 
way  into  the  languages  of  Continental  Europe.  It  is  the  very 
poetry  of  his  great  science,  analyzing  and  tabulating  millions  of 
observations  of  the  sea — its  currents  and  its  climates,  its  winds  and 
rains  and  storms,  its  myriads  of  animal  life,  and  marvellous  forma- 
tions of  shore-lines  and  bottoms — he  found  his  way  to  the  heart 
of  nature  and  laid  before  us,  like  an  open  book,  her  majestic  laws. 
And  never  did  scientific  man  touch  nature  in  more  devout  spirit. 
In  all  he  saw  the  handiwork  of  God.  Investigations  into  the 
broad-spreading  circle  of  phenomena,  connected  with  the  winds  of 
heaven  and  the  waves  of  the  sea,  never  failed  to  lift  his  mind  to  the 
Creator.  As  he  pondered  these  things,  he  heard  a  voice  in  every 
wave  that  clapped  its  hand,  he  felt  a  pressure  in  every  breeze  that 
blew,  he  knelt  and  worshipped  God. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  319 

STOOD  WITH  THE  SOUTH. 

"The  life  of  Maury  fell  on  times  when  there  were  at  work  other 
currents  than  those  of  sea  and  river.  Political  passions  blew  to  a 
gale  and  the  nation  drifted  to  Civil  war.  His  supreme  sense  of 
duty,  and  loyalty  to  his  own  State,  was  the  current  that  bore  him 
away  from  Washington  and  stranded  him  in  the  final  wreck  of  the 
Southern  Confederacy.  In  those  unhappy  times  no  man  sacrificed 
more  than  Maury.  He  not  only  resigned  his  high  position  at 
Washington,  but  turned  his  back  upon  tempting  offers  from  Eussia 
and  France,  in  order  to  suffer  affliction  with  his  own  people.  In 
the  Civil  war  he  rendered  most  valuable  service  by  introducing 
submarine  torpedo  warfare,  and  inventing  a  sure  method  of  ex- 
plosion by  electricity.  Much  of  his  time  was  spent  in  England 
purchasing  navy  supplies  and  perfecting  inventions  in  navy  war- 
fare. 

"After  the  war,  Maury  turned  to  Mexico  and  joined  his  fortunes 
to  the  Emperor  Maximilian;  but  the  tragic  end  of  this  friend  and 
patron,  again  left  him  stranded.  When,  in  1868,  the  enactment  of 
a  general  amnesty  removed  his  political  disabilities,  Maury  accepted 
the  Chair  of  Meteorology  in  the  Virginia  Military  Institute,  and 
there  spent  the  closing  years  of  his  life.  He  greatly  rejoiced  in 
this  return  to  old  friends  and  scenes,  and  addressed  himself  with 
ardor  to  congenial  pursuits.  But  a  constitution,  not  the  strongest, 
gave  way  to  the  storms  of  the  last  years.     The  middle  of  October, 

1872,  on  his  return  from  a  fatiguing  lecture  tour,  as  he  crossed  his 
threshold  he  said  '1  am  come  home  to  die.'  For  four  long  months 
he  lay  weak  and  suffering.     The  end  came  on  the  1st  of  February,. 

1873.  A  heavenly  breeze  bore  him  to  the  anchorage  beyond  the 
sea,  and  the  trusting  child  of  nature  rested  with  his  God. 

"Than  Matthew  Fontaine  Maury  no  American  has  received 
higher  honors  from  foreign  countries.  Orders  of  Knighthood  were 
bestowed  upon  him  by  the  Emperor  of  Eussia,  King  of  Denmark, 
King  of  Portugal,  King  of  Belgium,  and  the  Emperor  of  France ; 
while  Prussia,  Austria,  Sweden,  Holland,  Sardinia,  Bremen  and 
France,  struck  gold  medals  in  his  honor  The  Pope  sent  him  a  full 
set  of  all  the  medals  struck  during  his  pontificate ;  Maximilian  deco- 


320  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

rated  him  with  'The  Cross  of  Our  Lady  Guadaloupe;'  while  Ger- 
many bestowed  upon  him  the  great  'Cosmos  Medal/  struck  in 
honor  of  Von  Humboldt.  It  is  the  only  duplicate  of  that  medal  in 
existence.  He  became  corresponding  member  of  more  literary  and 
scientific  circles,  and  received  more  honorary  diplomas,  at  home 
and  abroad,  than  any  other  man  known  to  history. 

"Our  own  National  Government  has  failed  to  honor  his  memory 
by  appropriate  memorial,  yet  his  name  is  so  woven  with  his  great 
science  that  it  must  live.  The  Hon.  Mellin  Chamberlain,  late 
Librarian  of  Congress,  in  calm  judicial  tone,  has  declared,  'I  do  not 
suppose  there  is  the  least  doubt  that  Maury  was  the  greatest  man 
America  has  ever  produced.' 

"A  bill  to  honor  Commodore  Maury,  with  an  appropriate  monu- 
ment, lies  mouldering  in  the  archives  of  Congress.  It  will  some 
day  see  the  light.  During  the  last  years  of  Maury's  life  the  smoke 
of  a  great  conflict  gathered  about  him  and  hid  his  face  from  the 
National  Government ;  but  the  smoke  is  fast  lifting,  and  the  healthy 
breezes  of  a  great  national  fraternity  will  soon  blow  it  far  away. 
Then  his  nation  will  look  upon  his  face  and  see  the  clear  outlines 
of  his  character — then  will  he  take  his  own  proper  place  in 
America's  galaxy  of  .the  great." 

THE  LADIES'  MEMORIAL  ASSOCIATION. 

It  was  in  Fredericksburg,  and  by  the  ladies  of  Fredericksburg, 
Virginians,  that  the  first  memorial  association  was  organized  and 
chartered  for  looking  after  the  dead  soldiers,  for  providing  them 
a  final  resting  place  in  some  convenient  cemetery  laid  out  for  the 
purpose,  and  strewing  their  graves  with  the  first  flowers  of  spring 
as  the  years  pass  by.  This  was  their  second  care  after  their  return 
to  their  homes  at  the  close  of  the  Civil  war,  their  first  being  their 
own  homes,  which  were  almost  in  ruins ;  and  since  the  organization 
of  that  memorial  association  no  season  of  flowers  has  passed  that 
these  graves  have  not  been  piously  remembered. 

MARY  WASHINGTON  MONUMENT. 

It  was  the  ladies  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginians,  who  inaugurated 
the  move,  and  carried  it  on  to  complete  success,  to  raise  a  monu- 


Commodore  Matthew  Fontaine  Maury,  the   "Path 

Finder  of  the  Seas." 

(See  page  315) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  321 

ment  to  a  woman,  the  tallest  and  most  imposing  of  its  kind  that  is 
to  be  found  on  this  continent.  It  towers  over  fifty  feet  high,  the 
shaft  is  solid  granite,  and  it  marks  the  grave  of  the  greatest  of 
American  women — Mary,  the  mother  of  Washington.  It  is  true, 
that  after  the  work  was  commenced,  the  plans  laid,  and  some  money 
raised,  the  ladies  were  assisted  by  the  National  Mary  Washington 
Monument  Association,  which  did  good  service,  but  even  that  asso- 
ciation, brought  into  being  through  the  local  association  at  Fred- 
ericksburg, was  made  more  active  and  efficient  by  the  energy  and 
persistence  of  the  pioneers  in  the  movement.  That  monument  is 
grand  and  beautiful,  and  reaches  high  into  the  heavens,  and  while 
it  marks  the  last  resting  place  of  that  sainted  woman,  it  reflects 
great  honor  upon  all  the  ladies  who  assisted  in  its  erection. 

These  are  some  of  the  things  in  which  Virginians  took  the  lead 
and  which  were  accomplished  by  them.  There  may  be  omissions  of 
noble  acts  and  brave  deeds  that  might  have  been  mentioned  of  whose 
existence  we  are  in  ignorance,  but  these  we  have  mentioned  will 
suffice  to  show  that  they  were  the  leading  spirits  in  throwing  off  the 
British  yoke  of  oppression,  in  uniting  the  colonies  for  common 
defence,  in  proclaiming  to  the  world  our  grievances  and  declaring 
for  freedom,  in  waging  a  long  and  bloody  war  and  securing  inde- 
pendence, in  forming  and  conducting  the  government  from  its 
infancy  through  its  experimental  period,  in  extending  its  territorial 
limits  and  in  contributing  to  its  national  greatness.  If  for  all 
this — if  for  what  has  been  achieved  by  their  ancestors  in  field  and 
forum,  on  land  and  sea,  an  honest  pride  should  well  up  in  the  breast 
of  the  Virginians  of  the  living  present,  that  should  find  expression 
in  words,  where  is  the  individual  that  can  rise  up  and  charge  them 
with  vain  boasting  ? 


21 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Fredericksburg  at  Present — The  Health  of  the  City — Its  Financial 
Solidity — Its  Commercial  Prosperity — Its  Lines  of  Transpor- 
tation— Its  Water  Power — Its  Official  Calendar — List  of 
Mayors,  &c. 

We  now  come  to  the  closing  words  of  the  history  of  our  venerable 
city,  and  what  we  shall  add  in  closing  will  be  of  Fredericksburg 
as  it  is  at  present,  without  going  into  tiresome  details,  but  before 
proceeding  with  that  interesting  topic  we  must  turn  aside  to  men- 
tion some  useful  and  honored  organizations  of  the'  ladies  of  the 
town,  which  failed  to  receive  attention  in  a  former  chapter,  after 
which  our  subject,  "Fredericksburg  at  Present,"  will  be  resumed. 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  AMERICAN  REVOLUTION.* 

The  Betty  Washington  Lewis  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  Ameri- 
can Revolution,  was  organized  in  1899  at  the  Exchange  Hotel. 
Several  prominent  members  of  the  National  Society  were  present 
and  explained  the  scope  and  work  of  the  association.  Mrs.  Wm. 
Key  Howard,  of  Kenmore,  was  appointed  regent,  by  Mrs.  Hugh  N. 
Page,  State  regent,  and  twelve  charter  members  were  obtained. 
At  the  end  of  the  first  year  Mrs.  Howard  resigned,  and,  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1900,  at  a  meeting  at  Kenmore,  once  the  home  of  the  sister 
of  Washington,  whose  name  the  chapter  adopted,  Mrs.  John  T. 
Goolrick  was  elected  regent;  Mrs.  H.  M.  D.  Martin,  vice-regent; 
Mrs.  B.  C.  Chancellor,  registrar;  Mrs.  V.  S.  F.  Doggett,  treasurer; 
Miss  Sallie  X.  Gravatt,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  V.  M.  Fleming,  his- 
torian. In  addition  to  these  officers  the  following  charter  mem- 
bers were  present :  Mrs.  Marion  Maria  Mason  Daniel,  Mrs.  Kate 
Tichenor  Dill,  Mrs.  C.  R.  Howard,  Mrs.  Florence  C.  Richards, 
Mrs.  Lettie  M.  Spencer  and  Mrs.  Florence  F.  Weir. 

In  the  preliminary  work  of  organization,  which  was  undertaken 
by  Mrs.  John  T.  Goolrick,  one  of  her  warmest  supporters  was  Mrs. 


•Paper  prepared  by  Mrs.  J.  T.  G. 

[  322  ] 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  323 

Martin.  She  actively  interested  herself  in  the  cause,  her  house 
was  always  open  for  meetings  and  through  her  several  members 
were  added  to  the  chapter.  The  work  of  Mrs.  V.  S.  F.  Doggett 
was  valuable  and  effective,  and  to  the  time  of  her  death  her  zeal 
and  interest  were  unabated.  Mrs  Lucilla  S.  Bradley,  a  "real 
daughter,"  and  Mrs.  Maria  Jefferson  Carr  Mason,  a  great  grand- 
daughter of  Thomas  Jefferson,  were  honorary  members. 

This  chapter  has  aided  many  worthy  causes  outside  and  inside  of 
the  society,  both  local  and  foreign.  Colonial  balls  and  other  en- 
tertainments have,  at  different  intervals,  been  given,  among  the 
handsomest  being  a  reception  at  Kenmore,  where  an  address  on 
John  Paul  Jones  was  delivered  by  Capt.  S.  J.  Quinn,  before  a 
large  and  appreciative  audience. 

In  1904  the  State  Conference  was  entertained  by  the  Fredericks- 
burg Chapter,  and  the  guests  were  unstinted  in  their  praises  of  the 
hospitality  accorded  them  here.  The  chapter  is  at  present  as  vital 
a  force  as  when  organized,  and  prepared  to  use  opportunities  when 
found  to  do  work  along  historical  and  helpful  lines.  The  officers 
elected  at  a  recent  meeting  are  Mrs.  John  T.  Goolrick,  regent; 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Richards,  vice-regent;  Mrs.  B.  C.  Chancellor,  registrar; 
Mrs.  H.  M.  Eckenrode,  treasurer,  and  Miss  Sallie  N.  Gravatt, 
secretary. 

DAUGHTERS  OF  THE  CONFEDERACY. 

The  Daughters  of  the  Confederacy  was  organized  on  the  28th  of 
February,  1896,  with  the  following  officers:  Mrs.  Joseph  Nich- 
olas Barney,  president;  Mrs.  J.  Horace  Lacy,  vice-president;  Mrs. 
Vivian  M.  Fleming,  secretary,  and  Miss  Sallie  Nelson  Gravatt, 
treasurer,  and  an  executive  committee  of  fourteen  ex-Confederates. 
The  chapter  rapidly  grew  in  numbers  and  at  one  time  had  upon  the 
roll  nearly  two  hundred  names.  This  society  has  been  quite  active 
since  its  organization  and  has  done  much  good  in  the  way  of  help- 
ing destitute  veterans,  looking  after  and  administering  to  the  sick 
and  burying  the  dead.  It  has  been  the  channel  of  distributing  the 
Confederate  crosses,  and  if  any  cross  has  been  bestowed  upon  the 
unworthy,  it  was  because  of  the  ability  of  the  unworthy  to  obtain 
vouchers  from  genuine   Confederates.     This  chapter  has  done  a 


324  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

good  work  in  looking  after  the  remains  of  Confederate  soldiers, 
when  found  upon  the  battle-fields  or  elsewhere,  and  having  them 
interred  in  the  Confederate  cemetery.  One  of  the  praiseworthy 
acts  of  the  society,  a  few  years  ago,  was  to  disinter  the  remains  of 
the  brave  Gen.  Abner  Perrin,  killed  at  the  "Bloody  Angle"  while 
gallantly  leading  his  brigade,  and  buried  on  the  Hicks  farm  near 
the  courthouse,  and  Lieut.  Wm.  H.  Richardson,  of  Alabama,  killed 
at  the  same  time,  and  buried  by  the  General,  and  to  place  them 
side  by  side  in  the  Confederate  cemetery.  And  yet  there  is  other 
work  for  these  self-sacrificing  ladies  to  do.  By  annual  elections 
Mrs.  Barney  has  remained  at  the  head  of  the  chapter  and  is  the 
present  presiding  officer,  with  Miss  Sallie  M.  Lacy  as  secretary, 
who  is  an  active  support  to  the  president. 

ASSOCIATION  FOR  THE  PRESERVATION  OF  VIRGINIA  ANTIQUITIES.* 

The  Fredericksburg  Branch  of  the  Association  for  the  Preserva- 
tion of  Virginia  Antiquities  is  a  small  but  active  band.  They  have 
acquired  the  Mary  Washington  House  and  "Rising  Sun  Tavern." 
The  "Tavern"  has  been  recently  repaired,  but  retains  in  all  respects 
its  original  style  of  architecture.  Both  buildings  are  furnished  in 
"ye  olden  style,"  and  are  centers  of  great  interest  to  visitors.  The 
officers  of  this  branch  are  Mrs.  Vivian  M.  Fleming,  directress ; 
Miss  Rebecca  C.  Mander,  secretary,  and  Mrs.  Charles  Wallace, 
treasurer. 

THE  CITY  MISSION. 

The  City  Mission  was  organized  on  the  14th  of  March,  1901, 
mainly  through  the  efforts  of  Rev.  W.  D.  Smith,  rector  of  St. 
George's  church,  and  Mrs.  J.  B.  Ficklen.  It  has  been  quite  an 
active  society  and  much  good  has  resulted  from  its  labors.  The 
main  object  of  the  society  is  to  afford  relief  to  the  destitute  of  the 
town,  especially  the  sick,  and  as  it  is  composed  altogether  of  benev- 
olent and  kind  hearted  ladies,  we  know,  from  this  and  their  splendid 
labors  in  the  past,  that  their  mission  will  be  well  performed.  They 
do  more  than  look  after  the  sick.  These  ladies  gather  up  second- 
hand clothing  from  those  who  can  spare  it  and  sell  the  same  at  a 


*Paper  prepared  by  Miss  R.  C.  M. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  325 

cheap  rate  to  those  able  to  purchase  and  give  to  the  destitute.  The 
society  is  composed  of  ladies  from  all  religious  denominations,  and 
the  city  is  laid  out  in  districts,  each  of  which  is  placed  in  charge  of 
three  ladies,  to  whom  applications  for  assistance  by  parties  living 
therein  are  referred.  By  this  method  impositions  are  rare  and 
needy  persons  are  not  overlooked.  The  present  officers  of  the 
society  are  Mrs.  J.  B.  Ficklen,  president;  Mrs.  B.  B.  Montgomery 
and  Miss  Jennie  Hurkamp  vice-presidents ;  Miss  Rebecca  C.  Man- 
der,  secretary;  Miss  Annie  Myer,  treasurer,  and  Mrs.  Isaac  Hirsh, 
purchasing  agent. 

THE    FREDERICKSBURG   TEACHERS'   ASSOCIATION.* 

The  faculty  of  the  public  schools  of  Fredericksburg  met  and  or- 
ganized the  Fredericksburg  Teachers'  Association  in  September, 
1906.  The  officers  elected  at  that  meeting  were  as  follows:  Miss 
Kate  James  Mander,  president;  Miss  Clarice  Crittenden  Davis,, 
vice-president;  Miss  Jennie  M.  Goolrick,  secretary,  and  Miss 
Maggie  L.  Honey,  treasurer.  The  president  of  the  School  Board,, 
Mr.  A.  B.  Bowering,  after  the  teachers  were  organized,  was  re- 
quested to  outline  a  plan  for  a  library,  which  he  did,  and  the  teach- 
ers commenced  the  work.  After  obstacles  and  delays,  by  solicita- 
tion, and  dessert  sales,  a  sufficient  amount  of  money  was  raised  to 
commence  the  purchase  of  books,  and  quite  a  nice  collection  of  the 
best  publications  was  secured.  Since  that  additions  have  been; 
made  as  the  means  of  the  association  would  justify,  and  now  the- 
library  is  an  institution  formed  on  a  solid  basis.  It  is  popular 
with  the  children,  and  from  it  they  derive  much  pleasure  and  in- 
struction. The  present  officers  are  Miss  Kate  James  Mander, 
president;  Miss  Mary  Page  Waller,  vice-president;  Miss  Agnes  P.. 
Poach,  secretary,  and  Miss  Maggie  L.  Honey,  treasurer. 

FREDERICKSBURG  AT   PRESENT. 

Fredericksburg  is  a  healthy  town — a  true  Virginia  city — almost 
free  from  the  fevers  and  diseases  that  visit  other  cities  of  the  coast 
or  even  of  tidewater.     It  is  beautifully  situated  on  the  west  bank 


v Paper  prepared  by  Miss  K.  J.  M. 


326  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

of  the  Rappahannock  river,  at  the  head  of  tidewater,  where  its  in- 
habitants escape  the  malaria  of  the  lowlands  and  the  fevers  peculiar 
to  the  mountains.  Therefore,  when  we  compare  the  death  rate  of 
Fredericksburg,  which  is  made  every  month  by  Dr.  J.  N.  Barney, 
our  health  officer,  with  that  of  other  neighboring  cities,  we  find  it 
quite  favorable  to  our  town. 

PURE  WATER  SUPPLY. 

Our  main  source  of  water  supply,  the  Rappahannock  river,  has 
no  city  or  town  of  any  size  above  us,  and  for  that  reason  the  water 
is  almost  free  from  foreign  substances,  and  as  pure  as  are  the 
mountain  springs  from  which  it  flows.  The  analysis  of  this  water, 
which  has  often  been  made  in  the  years  gone  by,  and  repeatedly  in 
the  past  few  years,  shows  ninety-eight  per  cent.,  which  probably  more 
nearly  approaches  absolute  purity  than  any  other  stream  of  its  size 
in  the  country.  Besides  this  aid  to  health,  the  sanitary  condition 
of  the  town  is  carefully  looked  after  by  the  Board  of  Health,  and 
everything  that  threatens  the  introduction  of  disease  is  at  once 
removed  or  reduced  to  a  healthy  condition.  In  addition  to  this, 
as  a  convenience  for  the  citizens,  and  an  aid  to  health  conditions, 
the  main  part  of  the  city  has  been  sewered  within  the  past  four 
years,  and  laterals  are  in  course  of  construction  to  reach  those  por- 
tions of  the  town  not  now  sewered.  With  these  aids  to  health  and 
our  lynx-eyed  Board  of  Health,  who  are  always  on  the  alert,  we  may 
hope  for  and  confidently  expect,  as  we  now  have,  an  unusually 
healthy  city. 

FINANCIAL  CONDITION  OF  THE  CITY. 

The  financial  condition  of  Fredericksburg  is  good,  and  her  credit 
is  undoubted.  It  is  true  that  the  debt  of  the  city  is  large,  but  for 
every  bond  issued  there  is  something  substantial  standing  for  it, 
•except  nearly  $120,000  of  ante-bellum  bonds,  issued  by  our  fore- 
fathers in  an  honest  and  earnest  endeavor  to  secure  for  our  people 
improvements  of  a  permanent  and  profitable  character.  But  the 
improvements  proved  worthless  to  the  town.  Those  who  voted  for 
them  have  passed  over  the  river  of  death,  leaving  this  indebtedness 
as  a  legacy  to  their  descendants,  and  we  take  great  pleasure  in  pro- 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  327 

viding  for  it.  The  other  bonds  were  issued  for  improvements  the 
town  needed  and  was  compelled  to  have.  They  are  all  in  use  at 
present,  successfully  operated,  and  are  valued  far  in  advance  of  the 
price  paid  for  them  by  the  city,  and  it  is  only  a  question  of  private 
or  corporation  ownership,  as  to  whether  it  was  a  wise  policy  for 
the  city  to  erect  and  operate  them.  The  City  Council  thinks  it 
acted  for  the  best  interests  of  the  town  and  the  people  back  it  up 
in  that  opinion.  Nearly  all  of  the  bonds  issued  by  the  city  bear 
four  per  cent.,  were  sold  at  or  above  par  and  purchased  mostly  by 
our  own  citizens.  This,  it  would  appear,  is  a  strong  indication 
that  our  financial  affairs  are  in  a  satisfactory  condition. 

PRESENT   COMMERCIAL    CONDITION. 

The  commercial  prosperity  of  the  town  is  probably  far  in  advance 
of  what  it  ever  was  before.  We  have  now  about  one  hundred  and 
fifteen  wholesale  and  retail  stores,  each  one  doing  a  thriving  busi- 
ness. In  these  stores  the  customer  will  be  able  to  find  any  article 
of  merchandise  he  may  need  and  at  as  low  price  as  he  could  find  it 
in  the  larger  cities.  In  the  last  few  years  there  has  been  a  spirit 
of  improvement  in  business  houses,  and  at  present  there  are  to  be 
found  store-houses  that  would  be  a  credit  to  a  city  of  larger  preten- 
tions. So  changed  is  the  business  portion  of  Main  street  by  reason 
of  this  enlargement  and  ornamentation  that  citizens  of  the  town 
have  often  had  to  inquire  for  the  places  they  wished  to  visit.  In 
addition  to  this,  our  manufactures  have  increased  and  are  still  in- 
creasing, and  in  them  hundreds  of  persons  find  employment  at  liv- 
ing wages.  Among  the  manufacturing  institutions  may  be  men- 
tioned two  large  flouring  mills,  one  woolen  mill,  one  pants  factory, 
one  silk  mill,  two  sumac  mills,  three  excelsior  mills,  one  mattress 
factory,  two  pickle  factories,  one  canning  factory,  one  shoe  factory, 
one  shirt  factory,  one  spoke  factory  and  six  repair  shops.  The 
assessed  taxable  value  of  property  in  town  is,  personal  property 
$703,782,  real  estate  $1,676,133,  making  a  total  of  $2,379,915. 
Besides  this,  our  several  banks,  in  their  periodical  statements,  made 
to  the  Government,  show  largely  over  a  million  dollars  on  deposit, 
subject  to  individual  checks.     In  view  of  these  facts  truly  it  may 


328  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

be  said  that  Fredericksburg  is  in  a  prosperous  commercial  condition 
and  is  rapidly  adding  to  that  prosperity. 

LINES  OF  TRANSPORTATION. 

The  lines  of  transportation  running  to  and  from  Fredericksburg 
are  sufficient  for  all  the  requirements  of  the  town,  both  as  to  freight 
and  passenger  travel,  yet  our  citizens  would  not  object  to  the  con- 
struction of  another  road,  starting  at  some  deep  water  point  on  the 
coast,  crossing  the  Rappahannock  river  at  this  place  and  connecting 
north  of  us  with  the  great  trunk  lines,  traversing  this  extensive 
country  in  all  directions.  But  for  this  important  improvement 
we  must  patiently  wait. 

The  great  line  of  travel  and  traffic  through  Fredericksburg,  north 
and  south,  at  present,  is  the  Richmond,  Fredericksburg  and  Poto- 
mac railroad.  This  road  is  probably  one  of  the  best  conducted 
roads  in  the  country  and  seldom  has  an  accident.  Not  until  a  few 
years  ago  did  it  share  its  track  with  any  other  road,  but  now  three 
or  more  companies  are  running  their  cars  over  this  line  and  the 
carrying  business  is  immense.  This  large  increase  in  business  ne- 
cessitated a  double  track  of  the  entire  line — from  Richmond  to 
Washington — which  was  done  with  great  rapidity.  The  present 
service  on  this  road  that  passes  through  town  is  nine  passenger 
trains  north  and  ten  south  each  twenty-four  hours.  In  addition 
to  this,  the  increase  in  freight  has  also  increased  the  number  of 
freight  trains,  and  so  we  now  have  fifty  to  pass  through  in  a  day 
and  night,  and  yet  it  is  more  than  probable  that  this  large  number 
will  soon  be  further  increased.  This  road  has  a  new  iron  bridge 
spanning  the  Rappahannock  river  at  this  point. 

The  Piedmont,  Fredericksburg  and  Potomac  railroad — Narrow 
Gauge — runs  daily  from  Fredericksburg  to  Orange,  a  distance  of 
forty  miles.  It  connects  Fredericksburg  and  intermediate  points, 
with  that  great  trunk  line,  the  Southern,  at  that  point,  which  is  an 
accommodation  to  the  travelling  public  along  its  entire  line.  Al- 
though a  narrow  gauge  road,  it  does  quite  a  large  business  and  it 
has  been  rumored  that  it  may  be  extended  beyond  the  mountains 
some  day,  in  which  event  it  will  become  a  line  of  greater  importance 
than  at  present. 


The  Office  of  the  Fredericksburg  Water  Power  Company. 
(See  page  330) 


'Marye  Mansion,"  Gen.  Longstreet's  headquarters  at  Battle  of 

Fredericksburg,  December  13,  1862;  now  the 

residence  of  Capt.  M.  B.  Rowe. 

(See  page  91) 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  329 

The  former  citizen,  who  went  out  from  us  even  a  few  years  ago, 
on  his  return  to  his  old  home  now,  would  find,  among  other  changes, 
that  the  Weems  Line  of  steamers  from  Fredericksburg  to  Baltimore, 
had  transferred  its  business  to  another  company,  and  the  old  fa- 
miliar name  of  Weems,  of  more  than  a  half  century  standing,  whose 
line  was  so  intimately  interwoven  with  all  the  interests  of  Fred- 
ericksburg, was  a  name  of  the  past.  But  he  would  also  find  a  line 
— The  Maryland,  Delaware  and  Virginia  railroad,  not  that  their 
steam  boats  run  upon  railroad  tracks — had  taken  its  place,  and,  by 
its  splendid  steamers,  so  well  adapted  to  the  river  trade,  had 
brought  us  into  rapid  and  easy  communication  with  Norfolk  and 
Baltimore,  by  the  Bappahannock  river  and  Chesapeake  bay,  and 
thence  with  the  whole  busy  world  beyond. 

A   SPLENDID   WATER   POWER. 

Some  one  writing  of  our  water-power  some  years  ago  said : 
"The  water-power  of  the  Bappahannock  river  at  Fredericksburg, 
made  available  by  the  erection  of  a  magnificent  dam,  has  been 
harnessed  for  work  to  some  extent,  but  not  yet  to  its  full  capacity." 
That  this  is  true  is  a  pity,  but  that  it  will  not  long  be  true  is  a 
blessing.  The  old  dam,  which  gave  us  only  five  thousand  horse- 
power, is  rapidly  yielding  to  the  touch  of  time,  and  already  another 
is  in  course  of  construction  that  will  be  more  substantial  and  give 
us  more  power  than  the  present  dam  gives  at  its  best.  A  gentle- 
man, well  informed  as  to  the  plans  of  the  present  company,  says : 
"The  dam  now  in  process  of  construction  will  be  built  just  below 
the  present  dam  and  will  be  of  reinforced  concrete.  It  will  be 
about  twenty-two  feet  above  the  present  water  level  below  the  old 
dam,  and  will  husband  the  entire  plan  of  the  river;  or  rather,  will 
render  the  entire  plan  available  for  power  purposes,  but  will  not, 
strictly  speaking,  husband  the  entire  plan,  because  the  pond  behind 
the  dam  will  be  rather  limited  in  capacity  owing  to  the  closeness  of 
the  hills  on  either  side  of  the  river  and  the  abrupt  fall  of  the 
stream.  This  dam  will  afford  about  eight  thousand  horse-power, 
utilized  in  the  city,  and  at  a  power-house  of  the  company  to  be 
built  near  the  silk  mill,  but  to  the  east  of  the  main  Falmouth  road. 


330  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Just  above  Taylor's  quarry  it  is  planned  to  build  another  dam 
seventy-six  feet  high,  or  about  one  hundred  and  thirty-eight 
feet  above  the  sea,  with  quite  a  large  pond  or  storage  reservoir 
behind  it,  reaching  up  the  river  some  ten  miles  or  more.  And 
then  above  this  reach,  and  at  or  about  the  junction  of  the  two 
rivers,  the  large  dam,  about  eighty-four  feet  high,  or  two  hundred 
and  twenty-two  feet  above  sea  level,  will  complete  the  development 
so  far  as  the  Fredericksburg  Power  Company  is  concerned.  This 
last  level  reaches  to  about  Germanna.  The  whole  contemplated 
scheme  will  yield  about  thirty  thousand  horse-power."  This  will 
be  such  an  enormous  increase  of  power  over  what  we  now  have  that 
we  cannot  realize  it.  But  the  question  is,  what  is  to  be  done  with 
this  immense  power  ?  Shall  it  be  used  in  Fredericksburg  or  trans- 
mitted to  neighboring  cities  to  increase  their  facilities  for  manu- 
factures ?     Capitalists  and  manufacturers  must  answer  this  question. 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Fredericksburg,  with  its  quiet  ways  and 
want  of  bustling  activity,  is  a  manufacturing  center  of  considerable 
importance,  and  lying,  as  it  does,  on  the  line  of  travel  from  north 
to  south,  there  is  no  good  reason,  as  we  have  intimated,  why  it  may 
not  be  a  manufacturing  center  of  much  greater  importance. 

It  is  true  that  those  who  estimate  a  place  solely  by  the  number 
of  industrial  enterprises  which  it  encourages,  or  the  amount  of 
traffic  which  comes  to  it,  would  not  rank  Fredericksburg  as  highly 
as  some  of  the  more  busy  or  bustling  towns  of  other  parts  of  the 
country,  but  those  who  recognize  other  agencies  besides  water  wheels 
and  steam  engines,  and  other  earthly  products,  besides  dry  goods, 
groceries  and  general  merchandise,  will  find  much  here  to  admire 
and  interest  them. 

It  is  also  true  that  with  the  manufacturing  facilities  that  we 
possess  we  would  gladly  see  them  greatly  enlarged  and  more  fully 
developed,  also  new  ones  erected  and  operated,  but  with  this  accom- 
plished we  would  not  forget  that  there  are  better  fabrics  than  those 
that  are  manufactured  by  mechanical  appliances.  With  a  climate 
unsurpassed,  an  immunity  from  epidemics,  a  situation  enviable 
because  of  its  surroundings,  water  as  pure  as  ever  came  from 
mountain  springs,  with  all  the  advantages  as  we  have  before  said 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  331 

of  tidewater,  without  its  malaria,  with  all  the  benefits  of  the 
mountains,  without  the  mountain  fevers,  together  with  a  refined 
and  elevated  society — if  these,  with  the  additions  of  home  virtues 
aDd  home  joys,  be  regarded  as  valuable  in  life,  then  Fredericks- 
burg must  rank  much  higher  than  many  a  place  that  has  more 
outward  show  of  prosperity. 

The  pursuit  of  gain  and  the  exacting  cares  of  business  have  not 
engaged  altogether  the  thoughts  and  attentions  of  our  people,  to  the 
exclusion  of  those  things  which  tend  to  the  pleasure,  comfort  and 
health  of  the  community,  and  to  its  intellectual  development.  For 
the  benefit  of  the  first  mentioned  of  these  classes,  Hurkamp  Park 
has  been  located,  Washington  Avenue  and  the  National  Boulevard 
have  been  laid  out,  completed  and  adorned,  and  the  Free  Bridge 
has  been  constructed,  while  "Lovers'  Lane"  remains  the  same  that 
it  was  in  the  century  past. 

For  those  who  would  derive  comfort  from  inhaling  the  pure, 
fresh  air  of  the  morning  or  evening  in  a  drive,  on  horse-back  or  on 
a  bicycle,  can  find  on  the  avenue  and  boulevard  beautifully  graded 
drives,  and  a  variety  of  scenes  which  are  ever  pleasing  to  the  eye, 
while  the  beautiful  sun  risings  and  settings,  and  the  deep  blue  sky 
above  rival  in  grandeur  and  sublimity  those  of  far-off  Italy. 

For  those  who  would  spend  the  twilight  hours  in  a  pleasant  walk 
with  her  who  "claims  his  thoughts  by  day  and  dreams  by  night,"  in 
search  of  health  the  Free  Bridge  and  the  enchanting  walks  beyond 
are  equal  to  the  far-famed  "Lovers'  Lane,"  which  in  olden  times 
was  so  attractive,  even  enchanting,  as  it  is  now,  to  the  belles  and 
beaux,  where  words  were  spoken  and  vows  made  that  led  to  unions 
of  hands  and  hearts  that  nothing  earthly  could  weaken  or  sever. 

For  those  whose  tastes  and  inclinations  lead  them  to  intellectual 
enjoyment,  the  Library  and  Beading  Boom,  located  in  the  north 
wing  of  the  Courthouse  and  the  Wallace  Library,  soon  to  be  in 
operation,  afford  excellent  facilities.  The  Library  at  the  Court- 
house is  furnished  with  splendid  books — historical,  biographical, 
religious  and  miscellaneous,  and  the  number  is  added  to  as  the 
funds  at  the  command  of  the  association  will  allow.  It  is  con- 
ducted by  the  ladies  of  the  town,  who  are  always  ready  to  give,  toil 


332  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

and  even  sacrifice  to  benefit,  elevate  and  make  more  useful  the 
masses  of  the  people. 

All  of  these  advantages  belong  to  Fredericksburg,  with  many 
others  that  we  have  probably  inadvertently  omitted,  that  make 
it  one  of  the  most  desirable  residential  cities  in  the  country ;  and 
we  can  readily  agree  with  Captain  John  Smith,  the  great  explorer, 
"that  Heaven  and  earth  never  agreed  better  to  frame  a  place  for 
man's  habitation,"  than  the  beautiful  valley  of  the  Rappahannock, 
and  Fredericksburg  is  located  on  the  most  beautiful,  picturesque 
and  healthy  spot  of  that  far-famed  valley. 

And  yet,  with  all  these  advantages,  pointing  out  Fredericksburg 
as  a  most  desirable  place  for  her  educational,  industrial,  commer- 
cial and  residential  advantages,  its  prosperity  is  not  what  it  should 
be;  but  with  a  full  development  of  all  her  varied  facilities  which  we 
trust  will  be  done  in  the  near  future  and  which  can  be  done  if 
our  people  will  work  harmoniously,  we  may  hope  for  more  pros- 
perous days;  for 

"Reason's  whole  pleasure — all  the  joys  of  sense — 
Lie  in  three  words — Health,  Peace  and  Competence." 


History  of  Fredericksburg ,  Virginia  333 


OFFICIAL  CALENDAR— September  1,  1908. 


HUSTINGS  COURT. 


Hon.  John  T.  Goolrick,  Judge. 

Hon.  Granville  R.  Swift,  Commonwealth's  Attorney. 

A.  Bacon  Yates,  Clerk. 

John  Scott  Berry,  Deputy  Clerk. 

J.  Conway  Chichester,  City  Sergeant. 

Baylor  S.  Pates,  Deputy  City  Sergeant. 


MUNICIPAL  OFFICERS. 

H.  Lewis  Wallace,  Mayor. 

Robert  T.  Knox,  Treasurer. 

A.  B.  Bowering,  Commissioner  of  Revenue. 

A.  P.  Rowe,  City  Tax  Collector. 

E.  H.  Randall,   City  Surveyor. 


MAGISTRATES. 


Upper  Ward — S.  J.  Quinn,  S.  E.  Eastburn,  R.  E.  Bozel. 
Lower  Ward — A.  G.  Billingsly. 


CITY  COUNCIL. 


William  E.  Bradley,  President. 

A.  Mason  Garner,  Vice-President. 

Samuel  E.  Eastburn,  Clerk. 

Upper  Ward — Wm.  E.  Bradley,  Harry  B.  Lane,  Josiah  P.  Rowe, 
Joseph  M.  Goldsmith,  John  C.  Melville,  Clarance  R.  Howard. 

Lower  Ward — A.  Mason  Garner,  W.  S.  Embrey,  Jr.,  Henry  War- 
den, J.  W.  Masters,  F.  L.  W.  Green,  Arthur  Brown. 


334  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Council  Committees. 

On  Finance — Harry  B.  Lane,  John  C.  Melville,  Win.  E.  Bradley. 

On  Public  Property — Wm.  E.  Bradley,  A.  Mason  Garner,  J.  W. 
Masters. 

On  Water  Works — Josiah  P.  Rowe,  Harry  B.  Lane,  A.  Mason 
Garner. 

On  Streets— W.  S.  Embrey,  Jr.,  J.  M.  Goldsmith,  C.  R.  Howard. 

On  Light — John  C.  Melville,  J.  W.  Masters,  Harry  B.  Lane. 

On  Almshouse — A.  Mason  Garner,  Wm.  E.  Bradley,  Josiah  P. 
Rowe. 

On  Public  Interest — Joseph  M.  Goldsmith,  C.  R.  Howard,  Henry 
Warden. 

On  Ordinances — Clarance  R.  Howard,  W.  S.  Embrey,  Jr.,  P.  L. 
W.  Green. 

On  Auditing — Authur  Brown,  F.  L.  W.  Green,  John  C.  Melville. 

On  Health  and  Police — John  W.  Masters,  Henry  Warden,  Arthur 
Brown. 

On  Schools — Henry  Warden,  Josiah  P.  Rowe,  J.  M.  Goldsmith. 

On  Fire  Department — F.  L.  W.  Green,  Arthur  Brown,  W.  S. 

Embrey,  Jr.  

SUPERINTENDENTS    OF    DEPARTMENTS. 

S.  J.  Quinn,  Superintendent  City  Water  Works. 
B.  F.  Bullock,  Superintendent  City  Gas  Works. 

Wm.  Key  Howard,  Superintendent  City  Electric  Light. 

John  W.  Ball,  Superintendent  Almshouse. 

Samuel  Fitzhugh,  Clerk  of  Market. 


POLICE  DEPARTMENT. 

Upper  Ward — Wallace  N".  Tansill,  J.  A.  Stone. 

Lower  Ward — John  H.  Robinson,  Wm.  R.  Hall. 

Special  Police — Charles  A.  Gore. 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  335 

CITY  REGISTRARS. 

Lower  Ward — J.  Feed.  Brown. 
Upper  Ward — John  J.  Berrey. 


PUBLIC  FREE  SCHOOL  BOARD. 

A.  B.  Bowering,  President. 

S.  J.  Quinn,  Clerk. 
B.  P.  Willis,  Superintendent. 

Upper  District — Isaac  Hirsh,  W.  L.  Brannan,  J.  R.  Rawlings. 
Lower  District — A.  B.  Bowering,  W.  H.  Hurkamp,  Geo.  Free- 
man, Jr. 


BOARD    OF    HEALTH. 

Mayor  H.  Lewis  Wallace. 

Dr.  J.  N".  Barney,  Secretary  and  Health  Officer. 

Dr.  William  Jeffries  Chewning. 

A.  Bacon  Yates. 


CITY   CORONER. 

Dr.  Andrew  C.  Doggett. 


336  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

MAYORS  OF   FREDERICKSBURG  IN  THEIR 
CHRONOLOGICAL  ORDER. 


Charles   Mobtimeb    from  March,  1782,  to  March 

William   McWilliams    from  March,  1783,  to  March 

James  Somebville   from  March,  1784,  to  March 

George  Weedon   .  .i from  March,  1785,  to  March 

Charles    Mortimer .from  March,  1786,  to  March 

James  Somerville   from  March,  1787,  to  March 

Charles   Mortimer    from  March,  1788,  to  March 

George  French  from  March,  1789,  to  March 

Benjamin  Day    from  March,  1790,  to  March 

William   Harvet    from  March,  1791,  to  March 

James   Somerville   from  March,  1792,  to  March 

Fontaine  Maury    from  March,  1793,  to  March 

George  French   from  March,  1794,  to  March 

William   Harvey    from  March,  1795,  to  March 

Fontaine   Maury   from  March,  1796,  to  March 

William  Harvey from  March,  1797 — died  in  office  March  13 

Wm.  Taylor from  March  17,  1798  to  March  19 

Fontaine  Maury    from  March,  1798,  to  March 

George  French   from  March,  1799,  to  March 

David  C.  Keb from  March,  1800,  to  March 

William  S.  Stone  . .( from  March,  1801,  to  March 

David  C.  Ker  from  March,  1802,  to  March 

George  French   from  March,  1803,  to  March 

Benjamin  Day    , from  March,  1804,  to  March 

George  French   from  March,  1805,  to  March 

Charles  L.  Carter from  March,  1806 — resigned  August  11 

William  Smock from  August  11,  1808,  to  March 

Richard   Johnston    from  March,  1809,  to  March 

George  French  from  March,  1810,  to  March 


1783 
1784 
1785 
1786 
1787 
1788 
1789 
1790 
1791 
1792 
1793 
1794 
1795 
1796 
1797 
1798 
1798 
1799 
1800 
1801 
1802 
1803 
1804 
1805 
1806 
1808 
1809 
1810 
1811 


History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia  337 

Joseph  Walker    from  March,  1811,  to  March,  1812 

George  French   from  March,  1812,  to  March,  1813 

Charles  L.  Carter   from  March,  1813,  to  March,  1814 

George  French   from  March,  1814,  to  March,  1815 

John  Scott , from  March,  1815,  to  March,  1816 

Garret  Minor   from  March,  1816,  to  March,  1817 

Robert  Mackay    from  March,  1817,  to  March,  1818 

Garret  Minor   from  March,  1818,  to  March,  1819 

Robert  Mackay .from  March,  1819,  to  March,  1820 

David  Briggs   from  March,  1820,  to  March,  1821 

Robebt  Lewis from  March,  1820 — died  in  office  Feb.  10,  1829 

Thomas  Goodwin..; from  Feb.  12,  1829 — died  in  office  Jan.  15,  1836 

John  H.  Wallace from*  January  20,  1836  to  March  22,  1838 

Benjamin  Clarke from  March  22,  1838,  to  March  22,  1844 

Robebt  Baylor  Semple.  .from  Mar.  20,  1844 — died  in  office  Feb.  8,  1853 

John   L.  Marye,  Jr from  Feb.  12,  1853,  to  March  21,  1854 

Peter  Goolrick  . ., from  March  21,  1854,  to  March  21,  1855 

John  S.  Caldwell from  March  20,  1855,  to  March  17,  1857 

Peter   Goolbick    from  March  17,  1857,  to  March  22,  1859 

William  S.   Scott from  March  22,  1859,  to  March  22,  1860 

Peteb  Goolbick ,.  .from  March  21,  1860 — resigned  April  4,  1860 

Montgomeby  Slaughteb,  from  April  4,  1860,  removed  by  military  April 

28,  1868. 
Chables  E.  Mallam,  appointed  by  military  April  28,  1868,  removed  by 

military  July  15,  1869. 
William  E.  Nye,  appointed  by  military  July  15,  1869,  resigned  Feb. 

23,  1870. 

Lawrence  B.  Rose elected  by  Council  Feb.  23,  1870,  to  June  30,  1870 

William  Roy  Mason,  elected  by  the  people  July  1,  1870,  resigned  July 

28,  1870. 

Lawbence  B.  Rose  from  July  28,  1870,  to  June  30,  1872 

Robert  Banks  Berrey from  July  1,  1872,  to  June  30,  1874 

Lawrence  B.  Rose from  July  1,  1874 — died  in  office  April  10,  1877 

Hugh  S.   Doggett from  April  12,  1877,  to  June  30,  1880 


338  History  of  Fredericksburg,  Virginia 

Joseph  Ward  Seneb from  July  1,  1880,  to  June  30,  1884 

Josiah  Hazard .from  July  1,  1884,  to  June  30,  1888 

Absalom  P.  Rowe from  July  1,  1888,  to  June  30,  1896 

Wm.  Seymoub  White from  July  1,  1896 — died  in  office  Nov.  26,  1897 

Henby  R.  Gouldman appointed  Nov.  30,  1897,  to  June  30,  1898 

Absalom  P.  Rowe from  July  1,  1898 — died  in  office  June  1,  1900 

Mabion  G.  Willis .appointed  June  15,  1900,  to  June  30,  1902 

Mabiox  G.  Willis elected  July  1,  1902,  to  June  30,  1904 

Thomas  P.  Wallace elected  July  1,    1904,  to  August  31,  1908 

H.  Lewis  Wallace elected  Sept.  1,  1908,  and  now  serving. 


I  rc  TD  JS>  :x:  . 


Accoqueck,  19. 

Acorn  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  221. 

Acquisition  of  Territory — Walk- 
er's exploration,  281;  the  Great 
Northwest,  312;  the  Louisiana 
purchase,  313;  the  Florida  pur- 
chase, 314;  acquisition  of  Texas, 
314;  the  territory  from  Mexico, 
314. 

Adams,  Capt.  Andrew  B.,  221. 

Adams,  John,  230,  294. 

Adams,  John  Quincy,  311. 

Adams,  Rev.  Geo.  F.,  211. 

Adams,  Samuel,  patriot,  307. 

A  great  revival  of  religion,  93. 

Aldridge,  Miss  Virginia,  224. 

Aler,  George,  141. 

Alexander,  Capt.  Robert  H..  184. 

Alexander,  Gen.  E.  P.,  91,  266. 

Alexander,  Philip,  134. 

Alexander,  Robert  B.,  editor,  227. 

Allen,  John,  town  trustee,  42. 

Allen,  Wm.,  140,  142. 

Allison,  John  W.,  Jr.,  167. 

Alsop,  Boswell,  168. 

Ames,  Michael,  hostage  prisoner, 
77,  79. 

Amoroleck,  Smith's  prisoner,  15, 
17. 

Anasheroans,  Indian  tribe,  19. 

Anderson.  Capt.  John  K.,  184. 

Anstice,  Mrs.  Judith,  teacher,  197, 

Argall.  Capt.,  20. 

Armistead,  Henry,  court  clerk,  130. 

Arts  and  manufactures  encour- 
aged, 46. 

Assembly's  Home  and  School,  198. 

Association  for  the  P.  V.  A.,  324. 

Atkinson,  John,  237. 

Bacon.  Nathaniel,  281.  283. 

Baggett,  Samuel  I.,  262. 

Baggett,  Wm.  M.,  141. 

Bagnall,  Anthony,  historian,  13, 15. 

Bailey,  William,  221. 

Ball,  Col.  Wm.  B.,  83. 

Ball,  John  M.,  publisher,  229. 

Ball,  John  Wesley,  174. 


Bankhead,  Col.  John,  257. 
Barber,  Rev.  H.  H-,  207. 
Barbour,  Gov.  James,  132. 
Barksdale,  Gen.  Wm.,  81,  88,  97,  99. 
Barlosius,  Charles  F.,  167. 
Barney,  Dr.  J.  N.,  326. 
Barney,  Mrs.  Joseph  Nicholas,  326. 
Barton,  Thomas  B.,  hostage  pris- 
oner, 74,  77. 
Barton,  Judge  Wm.  S.,  68,  183,  215. 
Battle  of  Fredericksburg,  91,  92. 
Beale,  Wm.  C,  138,  139,  140. 
Beckwith,  Frank,  174. 
Benson,  Wm.,  171. 
Benwick,  J.  B.,  Jr.,  architect,  141, 

210. 
Bernard,  Wm.,  46. 
Berrey,  John  J.,  hostage  prisoner, 

79,  142. 
Berrey,  Robert  B.,  mayor,  184.  209. 
Beverley,  Harry,  town  trustee,  39 
Beverley,  Robert,  28,  35. 
Billingsly,  Rev.  Joseph  A.,  editor, 

227. 
Biscoe,  Robert  L.,  publisher,  229. 
Blackburn,  Robert,  167. 
Blackford,  Wm.  M.,  editor,  227. 
Blair,  John,  302,  304. 
Blanton,  Thomas,  237. 
Boardman,    Stephen    A.,    teacher, 

197. 
Board  of  Health,  335. 
Bonaparte,  Charlotte,  243. 
Bonaparte,     Emperor     Napoleon, 

243,  310. 
Boswell,  Capt.  J.  K.,  engineer,  96. 
Botts,  Benjamin.  172. 
Bowen,  Wm.,  167. 
Bowering,     Benjamin,    machinist, 

169,  176. 
Bowering,    Prof.    A.    B.,    169,    192, 

201,  211,  325. 
Bowman,  Mrs.  D.  C,  223. 
Bradley,  Capt.  James  H.,  hostage 

prisoner,  77,  78. 
Bradley,  Mrs.  Lucilla  S.,  323. 
Bradley,    Wm.    E.,    127,    147,    176, 

177,  227,  261. 


[  389  ] 


340 


Index 


Bradford,  Daniel,  166. 
Braxton,  Capt.  Carter,  70   71,  72. 
Braxton,  Carter,  signer  D.  I..  247. 
Braxton,  Rev.  Carter,  211. 
Brent,  Thomas  N.,  197,  261. 
Bridges — Chatham,   171;    Stafford, 

171;  Free,  171. 
Briggs.  David,  64. 
Broaddus,  Rev.  Andrew,  210,  211. 
Broaddus,  Rev.  Wm.  F.,  D.  D.,  74. 

77,  78,  197,  211. 
Brockenburg,  Dr.  John,  193. 
Brooke,  Judge  Francis,  125. 
Brooke,  Gov.  Robert,  130,  218,  220. 
Brown,  James,  172. 
Brown,  John,  183,  313. 
Brown,  Rev.  James  E..  216. 
Brown,  Rev.  John  A.,  216. 
Buckner,  Cuthbert,  teacher,  198. 
Buckner,  Robert,  38.  39,  40. 
Bullock,  B.  F.  Supt.  gas,  178. 
Burgess,  Roland,  216. 
Burrows,  Silas,  157,  257. 
Butterfleld,  Gen.  Daniel,  191,  269. 
Byrd,  Col.  Wm.,  26,  43. 

Caldwell,  J.  S.,  mayor,  141,  220. 

Campbell,  Daniel,  218,  220. 

Campbell,   James  M.,   editor,   227. 

Campbell,  Mrs.  Wm.  A.,  teacher, 
198. 

Campbell,  Rev.  Alexander,  213. 

Carter,  Col.  J.  W.,  13th  Miss.,  89. 

Carter,  George,  publisher,  226. 

Carter,  Robert,  49. 

Caruthers,  Wm.,  teacher,  198. 

Cary,  Archibald,  168   293. 

Cary,  Col.  Milton,  72. 

Castle,  Henry,  60. 

Champ,  John,  46. 

Chancellor.  Mrs.  B.  C,  D.  A.  R., 
322,  323. 

Chancellor.  M.  S.,  175. 

Chancellor,  Rev.  Melzi,  96. 

Chancellorsville  campaign,  94; 
Gen.  Hooker  in  command,  94; 
moved  to  Chancellorsville,  94; 
Gen.  Sedgwick  in  town,  95;  de- 
feated at  Salem  church,  96; 
Hooker  beaten  at  Chancellors- 
ville, 95. 

Chestnutt,  Rev.  I.  L.,  214. 

Chew,  Col.  Robt.  S.,  72,  130,  183, 
184,  192. 


Chew,  John  James,  68,  116,  130, 
138,  142. 

Chew,  John,   125. 

Chew,  John.   Jr.,   130. 

Chew,  Robert  S.,  130. 

Chiles,  Rev.  James,  209. 

Churches,  202;  St.  George's,  203; 
Trinity,  206;  Presbyterian,  207; 
French  Memorial  Chapel.  208; 
Baptist,  209;  Methodist,  211; 
Christian,  213;  St.  Mary's  Cath- 
olic, 214;  Shiloh  Old  Site,  215; 
Shiloh  New  Site,  215;  Robin- 
son's. 215;  Church  of  God,  216. 

Citizens,  arrested  as  hostages,  77, 
86;  second  arrest  and  names, 
102. 

City  Council — Accepts  situation, 
111;  condemns  assassination, 
112;  levies  taxes,  114;  orders 
an  election,  115;  reverses  order. 
115;  city  officers  removed,  116; 
addition  to  oath  of  office,  117; 
new  council  120;  orders  new 
courthouse,  140;  passes  resolu- 
tion on  death  of  Prest.  McKin- 
ley,  278,  279;  standing  commit- 
tees, 334;  Supts.  of  depart- 
ments, 334;  police  department. 
334. 

City  Hall,  143. 

City  Mission,  the,  324. 

City  Officers,  52,  130,  333. 

Clarke,  Gen.  George  Rodgers,  212, 
313. 

Clarke,  Jonathan,  312,  313. 

Clarke,  Rev.  M.,  205. 

Clarke,  Wm.,  explorer    313. 

Clay,  Henry,  U.  S.  Senator.  264. 

Cleveland,  Prest.  Grover,  160. 

Clowder,  Jeremiah,  39. 

Coakley,  John,  hostage  prisoner, 
77,  79. 

Cobb,  Col.  John  A.,  153. 

Cobb,  Gen.  Thomas  Reade  Rootes, 
91. 

Cole,  Col.  E.  D.,  127,  146,  170,  174, 
212,  248,  261,  262. 

Cole,  Counsellor,  168. 

Coleman,  Judge  Richard  H.,  teach- 
er, 197. 

Colson,  Thomas,  194. 

Confederate  cemetery,  185,  186, 
189. 

Confederate  Veterans,  191. 


Index 


341 


Conflagrations,  59,  64. 

Contagious  diseases,  65. 

Conway,  P.  V.  D.,  93. 

Conway,  Walker  P.,  120. 

Cooke,  Dr.  James,  hostage  pris- 
oner, 77,  79. 

Coons,   Jacob,  German  miner,   24. 

Corbin,  Hon.  S.  Wellford,  170. 

Corbin,  James  P.,  clerk,  223,  261, 
277. 

Cotton,  Mrs.  An.,  282. 

Coulter,  Judge  John,  of  Chatham, 
171. 

Courthouse,  142. 

Courts — Hustings  Court  estab- 
lished, 124;  District  Court.  124; 
Circuit  Court,  125;  District 
Court  of  Appeals  125;  Hustings 
Court  abolished  and  re-estab- 
lished, 126;  Police  Court,  126. 

Cox,  Abraham,  hostage  prisoner, 
77,  79,  80. 

Cox,  George,  64. 

Cox,  James  A.,  246. 

Cox,  Mrs.  Lucy  Ann,  246. 

Craig.  Rev.  Lewis,  209. 

Crawford,  Wm.  J.,  architect,  159. 

Criminals,  punishment  of,  55. 

Crismond,  H.  F.,  261. 

Crutchfield,  Edgar  M.,  200. 

Crutchfleld,  Hon.  Oscar  M.,  220. 

Cultatawoman,  Indian  king,  14, 19. 

Cunningham,  James,  167. 

Cunningham.  Wm.  H.,  Ill,  201. 

Curtis,  Thomas,  165. 

Custis,  Daniel  Parke,  237. 

Dahlgren,  Capt.  Ulrich,  83. 
Dandridge,  Col.  John,  236,  237. 
Daniel,  Mrs.   M.  M.  M.,  D.  A.  R., 

322. 
Daniel,  Major  John  W.,  160. 
Daniel,  S.  Greenhow.  227. 
Dannehl,  Henry,  170. 
Daughters    American    Revolution, 

322. 
Daughters     of     the     Confederacy, 

323. 
Davis,    Miss    Clarice    C,    teacher, 

325. 
Dawson,  Hon.  John,  154,  233. 
Day,    Major    Benjamin,    194.    195, 

220. 
Dick,  Dr.  Charles,  124. 
Dickey.  Robert,  139,  140. 


Dill,  Mrs.  Kate  Tichenor,  D.  A.  R., 

322. 
Dill,    Rev.    Jacob    S.,    D.    D.,    211, 

263,  315. 
Dixon,  Rev.  George  L.,  215. 
Dixon,  Roger,  Gent.,  237. 
Doggett,  Capt.  Hugh  S.,  120,  184. 
Doggett,  Mrs.  V.   S.  F.,  D.  A.  R., 

322,  323. 
Dolly,  Rev.  W.  L.,  213. 
Dow,  Rev.  Lorenzo,  66. 
Dunaway,  Rev.  Thomas  S.,  D.  D.. 

211,  279. 
Dunmore,  Lord,  48. 

Early,  Gen.  Jubal  A.,  96,  98,  273 
Eastburn,  Oliver,  170. 
Eckenrode,  Mrs.  H.  M.,  D.  A.  R., 

323. 
Edrington,  Mrs.  C.  W.,  222. 
Eisenhower,  S.  A.,  248. 
Electric  light  plant,  178. 
Elks,  benevolent  order  of,  221. 
Embrey,    Judge    A.    T.,    126,    146, 

228,  261. 
Embrey,  Major  W.  S.,  170. 
Essex,  Rev.  Benjamin,  123. 
Eubank,  John,  242. 
Eve,  George  W.,  120. 

Fairs,  agricultural,  44,  169,  170. 
Farish,  Wm.  F.,  165. 
Fauntleroy,  Miss  L.,  editress,  229. 
Federal  Hill,  153. 
Ferneyhough,  John,  162. 
Ferry,  first  constructed,  170. 
Fetherstone,  Richard,  Gent,  14,  19. 
Fetherstone's  Bay,  19. 
Ficklen,  Mrs.  J.  B.,  324.  325. 
Field,  John,  printer,  219. 
Fire  Department,  144,  180,  181. 
Fishback,  Harman,  German  miner, 

24. 
Fishback,    John,    German    miner, 

24. 
Fitzhugh,    St.    Geo.    R.,    146,    147, 

261,  263,  276,  277. 
Fitzhugh,  Wm.,  of  Chatham,  171. 

236. 
Fleming,    Mrs.    V.    M.,    D.    A.    R., 

322,  323,  324. 
Floyd,  Gen.  John  B.,  81. 
Fontaine,  Col.  W.  W.,  teacher,  197. 
Fontaine,  John,  diary  of,  26,  27. 
Ford,  James  W..  teacher,  198. 


342 


Index 


Forrer,  Rev.  F.  S.,  214. 

Forsythe,  Major  Robert,  134. 

Fort,  constructed  on  Rappahan- 
nock, 1681,  25. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  124. 

Fraser,  Simon,  220. 

Freaner,  W.  T.,  166. 

Fredericksburg  American  Lodge, 
218. 

Fredericksburg  Artillery,  72,  73, 
74. 

Fredericksburg  College,  198. 

Fredericksburg  Commandery,  K. 
T.,  220. 

Fredericksburg,  city  of,  founded, 
1727;  streets  bear  royal  names, 
37;  act  House  of  Burgesses,  38; 
seat  of  justice,  42;  re-survey, 
44;  wooden  chimneys,  45;  lim- 
its extended,  46;  military  ardor, 
48;  under  the  U.  S.,  50;  char- 
tered by  Legislature,  51;  rapid 
growth,  53;  lends  money  to 
government,  54;  important  cen- 
ter, 58;  important  postal  point, 
60;  limits  extended,  62;  great 
fire,  64;  trade  of  the  town,  65: 
epitome  of  the  city,  67;  limits 
extended.  68;  charter  amended 
1852,  1858.  69;  in  the  Confed- 
eracy, 71;  surrendered  to  Gen. 
McDowell,  74;  Gen.  Pope  enters, 
76;  evacuation  scenes,  81; 
bridges  destroyed.  82;  Gen. 
Burnside  on  Stafford  Heights, 
83;  authorities  consult  Gen. 
Lee.  84;  Gen.  Sumner  demands 
surrender,  85 ;  bombardment, 
88  (see  Chancellorsville  and 
Wilderness  campaigns) ;  war 
closes,  110;  under  the  Stars  and 
Stripes,  110;  military  supreme, 
113;  new  charter,  117;  untram- 
melled citizens  in  power,  119; 
ante-bellum  debt.  119;  present 
debt,  121;  courts,  124;  its  de- 
claration, 283;  furnishes  head 
of  army  and  navy,  301;  Freder- 
icksburg at  present,  325;  fi- 
nancial condition,  326;  commer- 
cial condition,  327;  official  cal- 
endar, 333;  council  committees, 
334;  registrars,  335;  list  of 
mayors,  336. 

Fredericksburg  Lodge,  No.  4,  217. 


Fredericksburg  R.  A.  Chapter, 
220. 

Fredericksburg  Teachers'  Associa- 
tion, 325. 

Freedman's  Bureau,  127. 

Fremont,  Gen.  John  C.  313. 

French,  Dr.  George,  172. 

French,  Seth  B.,  208. 

Frieze,  Jacob,  242. 

Garner,  A.  Mason,  147,  174,  176. 

Garnett,  Geo.  W.,  211. 

Garnett,  Hon.  James  M.,  169. 

Garrison,  Hon.  Geo.  T.,  158. 

Gas  Works,  176,  177. 

Gately,  Matthew  J.,  237. 

Gates,  Gen.  Horatio,  251. 

Gaullier,  John  F.,  172. 

Gibson,  Rev.  John  S.,  207. 

Gill,  Beverley  T.,  hostage  prison- 
er, 77,  111. 

Gilmer,  Capt.  Lucien  G.,  185. 

Gilmer,  Rev.  Thomas  W.,  209. 

Gladstone,  Sir  Wm.  E.,  premier, 
305. 

Gooch,  Wm.,  Esq.,  Governor,  42. 

Goodwin,  Thomas,  165. 

Goolrick.  John,  teacher,  196. 

Goolrick,  Hon.  John  T.,  126,  192, 
261,  271,  272.  275,  277. 

Goolrick,  Miss  Jennie  M.,  teacher. 
325. 

Goolrick,  Mrs.  John  T.,  D.  A.  R., 
160    322    323. 

Goolrick,  Peter,  138,  139,  140,  166. 

Gordon,  Douglas  H.,  85. 

Gordon,  Gen.  John  B.,  98. 

Gordon,  Samuel,  169. 

Gordon.  W.  F..  184. 

Gore,  Charles  A.,  60. 

Gore.  Jacob,  60. 

Grant,  Gen.  U.  S.,  73,  99.  109. 

Gravatt,  George,  111,  120. 

Gravatt,  Miss  Sallie  N.,  D.  A.  R., 
322,  323. 

Gray,  John,  167. 

Gray,  Rev.  J.  S.,  207. 

Gray,  Wm.  F..  editor.  225. 

Green,  Gen.  Nathaniel,  251,  253. 

Green,  John  W.,  64. 

Green,  Mrs.  James  L.,  226. 

Green,  Rev.  Edwin,  207. 

Green,   Timothy,  editor,    225,   259. 

Green,  Wm.  D.,  166. 

Gregg,  Gen.  D.  McM.,  263. 


Index 


343 


Griffin,  John  M.,  261,  262. 
Griffin,  Lieut.  Robt.  S.,  262. 

Hackley,  Mrs.  Mary,  teacher,  197. 
Hagen,  Rev.  Henry,  24. 
Halkerson,  Robert,  220. 
Hall,  Dr.  Elisha,  152. 
Hall,  Dr.  Horace  B.,  Ill,  152,  205. 
Hall,  Dr.  Marshall  C.,  205. 
Halsey,  J.  J.,  teacher,  197. 
Hanback,    ,     German     miner, 

24. 
Hancock,  John,  308. 
Hanson,  Thomas  H.,  teacher,  196. 
Harman,  Wencel,  248. 
Harris,  Gen.  T.  M.,  114. 
Harris,  O.  L.,  222. 
Harrison,     Benjamin,     President, 

247. 
Harrison,  Col.  Archibald,  72. 
Harrison,  Thomas,  120. 
Harrison,  Wm.  Henry,  President, 

264,  312. 
Harrow,  James  D.,  editor,  225. 
Hassininga,  Indian  king,  15,  19. 
Hawley,  Gen.  J.  W.,  262,  271. 
Heflin,  E.  G.,  architect,  145. 
Henderlite,  Rev.  J.  H.,  209. 
Henry,  Edward,  teacher,  197. 
Henry,  Patrick,  44,  264,  284,  285, 

287,  302. 
Henry,  Rev.  Patrick,  23,  44. 
Herndon,  Capt.  Wm.  Lewis,  241 
Herndon,  Charles,  111. 
Herndon,  Dr.  B.  S.,  142. 
Herndon,  Dr.  James  C,  244. 
Herndon,  Jacob,  167. 
Herndon,  John  M.,  126,  208. 
Heslop,  Isaac,  237. 
Hill,  Col.  John  B.,  257. 
Hirsh,  Isaac,  261. 
Hirsh,  Mrs.  Isaac,  325. 
Hirsh,  Mrs.  Maurice,  223. 
Hitt,  Peter,  German  miner,  24. 
Hitt,  W.  Snowden,  196. 
Hodge,  Rev.  A.  A.    209. 
Hoge,  Rev.  Wm.  J.,  D.  D.,  94. 
Holliday,  John,  speaker,  H.  B.,  42. 
Holmes,  Thomas,  227. 
Holtzclaw,   Jacob,  German  miner, 

24. 
Honey,   Miss   Maggie  L.,   teacher, 

325. 
Hooton,  Albert,  174. 
Hotels — Tammany  Hall,  165;  Rap- 


pahannock House,  165;  Farm- 
ers,' 165;  Exchange,  166;  Eagle, 
166;  Alhambra,  167;  Indian 
Queen,  167;  Travellers'  Rest, 
168;  Western,  168;  Liberty 
House,  168;  Planters',  168. 

Houston,  Gen.  Samuel,  168,  314. 

Howard,  Clarance  R.,  155. 

Howard,  Mrs.  Clarance  R.,  D.  A. 
R.,  322. 

Howard,  Mrs.  Wm.  Key,  of  Ken- 
more,  D.  A.  R.,  322. 

Howard,  Wm.  Key,  155,  179. 

Howison,  John,  200. 

Howison,  Rev.  Robert  R.,  LL.  D., 
81. 

Howison,  Samuel  S.,  86. 

Huffman,  John,  German  miner, 
24. 

Huffman,  Landon  J.,  142. 

Hunnicutt,  Rev.  James  W.,  editor, 
77,  227. 

Hunter,  Charles  E.,  176. 

Hurkamp,  Charles  H.,  170. 

Hurkamp,  John  G.,  111. 

Hurkamp,  Miss  Jennie,  325. 

Hurkamp,  Wm.  H.,  192. 

Ironclad  Oath,  116. 

Jackson,  Rob.,  city  trustee,  42. 
Jackson,  Capt.  Wm.  A.,  183. 
Jackson,  Gen.  Andrew,  President, 

257. 
Jackson,  Gen.  T.  J.,  81,  84,  95,  272 
Jacobs,  W.  J.,  262. 
James,  Rev.  Wm..  132,  211. 
Japazaws,  Chief,  20. 
Jay,  Judge  John,  240. 
Jefferson,   Thomas,   167,   247,    264, 

283,  292,  294,  296,  313,  323. 
Jefferys,  Major  M.  M.,  191. 
Jenkins,  Wm.,  Gaoler,  130. 
Johns.  Rev.  Arthur  S.,  205. 
Johnson,  Major  James,  128. 
Johnson,  Capt.  Volley  M.,  teacher, 

197. 
Johnston,  B.,  237. 
Johnston,  H.  Stuart,  257. 
Johnston,  Lafayette,  257. 
Johnston,  Mrs.  Eliza,  257. 
Jones,    John    Paul.    218,    237,    238, 

239,  265,  301,  323. 
Jones,  W.  T.,  179. 
Julien,  John,  alderman,  124. 


344 


Index 


Kelly,  Maj.  J.  Harrison,  170,  221, 
225. 

Kemper,  Charles  E.,  23. 

Kemper,  John,  23,  24. 

Kemper,  Rev.  James,  23,  24. 

Kenmore,  155. 

Ker,  Dr.  David  C,  46,  66,  231. 

King,  Gen.  Horatio  C,  262,  270, 
276,  277. 

King,  Wm.  I.,  177. 

Kirkland,  Richard.  92. 

Knight,  John  T.,  120,  177,  248,  261. 

Knox,  Capt.  Jas.  S.,  146,  175,  177, 
184. 

Knox,  Miss  Virginia,  223. 

Knox,  Thomas  F.,  hostage  pris- 
oner, 77,  111,  142. 

Kobler,  Rev.  John,  212,  213. 

Lacy,  Maj.  J.  Horace,  170. 
Lacy,  Miss  Sallie  M.,  324. 
Lacy,    Mrs.   J.   Horace,   U.   D.  C, 

323. 
Lacy,  Rev.  B.  T.,  209. 
Ladies'  Memorial  Association,  185, 

186,  188,  189,  320. 
Lafayette,  Gen.,  256. 
Lane,    H.    B.,    chairman    finance, 

176,  261,  334. 
Larkin,  Capt.  Thos.  M.,  185. 
Laughlin,  Col.  W.  L.,  166. 
Lawrens,  Henry,  308. 
Layton,  C.  Ernest,  222. 
Leavell,  John  T..  262. 
Lee,  Daniel  M.,  192.  262. 
Lee,  Francis  Lightfoot,  247. 
Lee,  Gen.  Charles,  251. 
Lee,  Gen.  Henry,  251,  308. 
Lee.   Gen.    Robert   E..    73,   83,   99, 

108.  109,  110,  183.  191,  264. 
Lee,  Gen.  Wm.  H.  F.,  83. 
Lee,  Richard  Henry,  247,  287,  293, 

302,  306. 
Lee,  Thomas  Ludwell,  168,  295. 
Legg,  John,  130. 
Lewis,  Col.  Fielding,  155,  243. 
Lewis,  John,  44,  45. 
Lewis,  Meriwether,  313. 
Lewis,  Robert,  255.  256. 
Lexington,  battle  of,  48. 
Liberty  Bell,  247. 
Little,  A.  Alexander,  226. 
Little,  Miss  Bella.  226. 
Little,  Mrs.  John  P.,  197. 
Littlepage,  Gen.  Lewis,  240. 


Little,  Wm.  A.,  74,  85,  102,  111. 
Livingston,  Robert  R,  294. 
Livingston,  Wm.,  41. 
Lomax,  Judge  John  T.,  132,  193. 
Long,  Michael,  167. 
Longstreet,  Gen.  James,  83. 
Lowery,  James  T.,  146. 
Lowery,  Wm.  T.,  221. 
Low,  Rev.  Samuel,  132. 
Lucas,  Albert  G.,  180. 
Lucas,  Walker,  168. 
Luck,  Cadmus  B.,  166. 

Mackay,  Robert,  149. 

Madison,    Pree.    James,    264,    301, 

302,  304. 
Magdalen,  man-of-war,  48. 
Magrath,  Mrs.  A.  L.,  teacher,  197. 
Mahaskahod,  Indian  town,  15,  16, 

19. 
Mander,  Miss  Kate  James,  teacher, 

325. 
Mander,  Miss  Rebecca  C,  324,  325. 
Mannahocks,  Indian  tribe,  17. 
Marshall,  John,  249,  264,  308. 
Martin,  German  miner,  24. 
Martin,  Mrs.  H.  M.  D.,  D.  A.  R., 

322. 
Marye,  Capt.  Edward,  73. 
Marye,  John  L.,  72. 
Marye,   John   L,  Jr.,  44,   74,   138, 

139,  209. 
Marye,  Rev.  James,  rector,  44,  203. 
Marye,  Rev.  James,  Jr.,  203. 
Marye,  William  B.,  198. 
Mary  Washington  Hospital,  222. 
Mary    Washington,    House,    156; 

Monument,  157,  159;   will,  160; 

257. 
Mason,  George,  168,  288,  302,  303. 
Mason,  Judge  John  E.,  127,  292. 
Mason,   Mrs.   M.   J.   C,   D.   A.   R., 

223,  323. 
Mason,  Rev.  J.  K.,  rector,  205. 
Massauteck,  19. 

Massawomeks,  Indian  tribe,  16. 
Maury,  Com.  M.  F.,  264,  315,  316, 

318,  319. 
Maury,  Gen.  Dabney  H.,  191. 
Maury,  Rev.  Magruder,  205. 
Mayors,  list  of,  336. 
McBryde,  Rev.  Robert,  205. 
McCabe,  James  D.,  229. 
McClellan,  Gen.  George  B.,  75,  76. 


Index 


345 


McCracken,  Capt.  T.,  170, 176, 181, 
184,  261. 

McCracken,  Patrick,  120. 

McGuire,  James,  hostage  prison- 
er, 77,  78,  111,  208. 

McGuire,  Rev.  Edward  C,  204, 
205,  207. 

McKinley,  President  Wm,  278. 

McKinley,  Wm.  and  Cabinet,  262. 

McLane,  Wilmer,  108. 

McLaws,  Gen.  Lafayette,  83. 

McMahon,  Gen.  Martin  T.,  263,  271. 

McPhail,  Rev.  George  W.,  196,  209. 

McPherson,  Archibald,  194,  235, 
236. 

McWilliams,  Wm.,  124,  254. 

Meade,  Rev.  Wm.,  204. 

Mebane,  Rev.  Benj.  W.,  D.  D., 
209. 

Meditation  Rock,  157. 

Meiggs,  R.  J.,  P.  M.  G.,  61. 

Melville,  John  C,  148,  178. 

Mercer,  Capt.  John,  231. 

Mercer,  Col.  John  Fenton,  231. 

Mercer,  Gen.  Hugh,  50,  150,  162, 
217,  249,  301. 

Mercer,  James,  46,  130.  131,  162, 
220. 

Mercer,  Robert,  226. 

Merchant,  Rufus  B.,  228. 

Metcalfe,  John,  132,  141. 

Miles,  Gen.  Nelson  A*  262,  271. 

Military — Fredericksburg  Artil- 
lery, 72;  Capt.  Blackford's  Co., 
182;  Fredericksburg  Guards,  183; 
Mercer  Rifles,  183;  Washington 
Guards,  183;  Fredericksburg 
Grays,  183;  Coleman  Guards, 
184;  Gordon  Rifles,  184;  Fred- 
ericksburg Grays  (new),  184; 
Washington  Guards  reorganized, 
185;  Garfield  Light  Infantry 
Blues,  185. 

Ministers  qualify  to  celebrate  rites 
of  matrimony,  132. 

Minor,  Capt.  George,  258. 

Minor,  John,  68,  125,  130,  140,  142, 
172,  231. 

Moltke,  Baron  Von,  268. 

Monacans,  Indian  tribe,  16. 

Moncure,  John,  134. 

Moncure,  Mrs.  Mary  Knox,  154. 

Moncure,  Thomas,  197. 

Monroe  Doctrine,  310. 


Monroe,  James,  60,  150,   204,  264, 

310,  314. 
Montague,  A.  J.,  276,  277. 
Montgomery,  Mrs.  B.  B.,  325. 
Moore,  Austin,  28. 
Moraughtacunds,  Indian  tribe,  17, 

18. 
Morgan,  Gen.  Daniel,  251. 
Morris,  Maj.  T.  E.,  261,  262. 
Morrison,  Thos.  F.,  170. 
Morrison,  Wm.  C,  120. 
Morson,  Arthur  A.,  134. 
Mortimer,  Dr.  Chas.,  124,  253. 
Mosco,  Indian  guide,  13,  14,  15,  IS. 
Mundell,  John,  64. 
Murat,  Catherine  Willis,  243. 
Murat,  Prince  Charles,  243. 
Murdaugh,  Rev.  E.  C,  205,  206. 
Murphy,  Wm.  H.,  167. 
Myer,  John  H.,  120,  223. 
Myer,  Miss  Annie,  325. 
Myrtle  Lodge,  I.  O.  O.  F„  221. 

Nandtaughtacund,  Indian  King,  14. 
18,  19. 

Napoleon  Bonaparte,  310. 

Napoleon,  Louis,  268. 

National  Cemetery,  190,  191. 

Nelson,  Gen.  Thomas..  Jr.,  247, 
293. 

Newby,  James,  167. 

Newspapers  and  Periodicals — The 
Virginia  Herald,  225;  The  Gen- 
ius of  Liberty,  225;  The  Courier, 
226;  The  Fredericksburg  News, 
226;  The  Political  Arena,  226; 
The  Christian  Banner,  227;  The 
Virginia  Baptist,  227;  The  Dem- 
ocratic Recorder,  227 ;  The  Fred- 
ericksburg Ledger,  227;  The 
Independent,  227;  The  Bulletin, 
227;  The  True  Standard,  227; 
The  Recorder,  227;  The  Free 
Lance.  227;  The  Virginia  Star, 
228;  The  Daily  Evening  Star, 
228;  Masonic  Olive  Branch  and 
Literary  Portfolio,  229;  The 
Little  Gleaner,  229;  The  Fred- 
ericksburg Journal,  229;  The 
Evening  Journal,  229. 

Normal  School  Building,  147. 

Norton,  Wm.  H.,  hostage  prisoner, 
77,  79. 

O'Ferrall.  Gov.  Charles  T.,  159. 
276,  277. 


346 


Index 


Ould.  Col.  Robert,  104. 
Owens,  Rev.  Wm.  B.,  93,  94. 

Page,  Mann,  Jr.,  160. 

Page.  Mrs.  Hugh  N.,  322. 

Passasack,  Indian  King,  14,  18,  19. 

Patrick,  Gen.  M.  R.,  75. 

Paul,  John,  238. 

Paul,  William,  237,  238. 

Pendleton,   Edmund,   49,  287,  293. 

296. 
Perrig.  Rev.  J.  F.,  214. 
Perrin,  Gen.  Abner,  324. 
Peyton,  Benj.,  143. 
Peyton,  Oapt.  George  H.,  166,  184. 
Phelps,  Elijah,  61. 
Pierson,  Charles  H.,  170. 
Pitcher,  Molly,  246. 
Pocahontas,  12,  19,  20,  264. 
Political   divisions,   230,   231,   233, 

234. 
Pollock,  Capt.  John  G.,  73. 
Poor  Debtors'  prison  bounds,  134, 

135. 
Poor,  care  of,  171,  174. 
Pope,  Gen.  John,  75,  76,  77,  81. 
Porter,  Gen.  Horace,  239. 
Porter,  John  S.,  183. 
Port  Royal,  19. 
Posey,  Gen.  Thomas,  217,  301. 
Postal  investigation,  60. 
Postoffice  burnt,  89. 
Powell,  D.  Lee.  183. 
Powell,  Rev.  W.  R.,  227. 
Powell,  Smith's  companion,  13. 
Powers,  Hiram.  218. 
Powhatan.  Indian  King.  19.  20. 
Pritchard,  John,  68.  142,  180,  183. 
Procter,  Thomas.  168. 
Proctor.  Thomas  F.,  192. 
Pryor,  Mrs.  Roger  A.,  151. 
Public  Buildings,  137;  Courthouse, 

142;  City  Hall.  144;  Fire  House, 

144;  Union  House,  144;  Colored 

School,    144;    Wallace    Library, 

145. 
Public  Free  School  Board,  335. 
Public  Schools,  199. 
Pullen,  Jesse,  167. 

Quinn,  Capt.   S.  J.,   147.  174    175, 
176.  192.  211.   220.  261.  277,  323. 
Quisenberry,  Wm.  P..  167. 

Ramsay,  Rev.  F.  P.,  199,  223. 


Ramsay,  T.  H.,  166. 

Randolph,  Gov.  Edmund,  124,  304. 

Randolph,  John,  149. 

Randolph,  Peyton,  49. 

Randolph,  Rev.  A.  M.,  93,  205. 

Ransom,  Gen.  Robert,  83. 

Ransom,  Rev.  W.  L.,  216. 

Rapahanock,  Indian  King,  18. 

Ratliff,  Lieut.  Wm.,  89. 

Rawls,  Miss  Mary,  195. 

Ray,  Rev.  Albert,  216. 

Read,  James  G.,  197. 

Reaney,  Rev.  W.  L.,  207. 

Reconstruction  commenced,  113. 

Religious  liberty,  309. 

Revere,  John  H.,  184. 

Rhinehart,  H.  W.,  197. 

Richards,  Mrs.  F.  C,  D.  A.  R.,  322, 
323. 

Richardson,  Hon.  James  D..  302. 

Richardson,  Judge  D.  C,  276. 

Richardson,  Lieut.  Wm.  H.,  324. 

Rising  Sun  Tavern,  148. 

Roach,  Miss  Agnes  P.,  325. 

Roberts,  John  H.,  hostage  pris- 
oner, 77,  79. 

Robinson,  John  H.,  181. 

Robinson,  John.  39. 

Robinson,  Rev.  Willis  M.,  215,  21" 

Roddy,  Samuel,  124. 

Rolfe,  Capt.  John.  19,  20. 

Rootes,  Philip,  46. 

Rootes,  Thomas  Reade,  153.  231. 

Rosebro,  Rev.  J.  W.,  D.  D.,  146, 
199.  209. 

Ross,  Alexander,  46. 

Rothrock,  Charles  M.,  246. 

Rowe,  A.  P.,  160,  170,  247,  248,  260. 

Rowe,  A.  P.,  Jr..  146,  262. 

Rowe,  Capt.  M.  B.,  170,  174,  184, 
185,  261. 

Rowe.  Geo.  H.  C,  hostage  pris- 
oner, 77.  78.  103,  105. 

Rowe,  Josiah  P.,  176. 

Rowe.  Rev.  George,  215. 

Royston,  John,  38.  39,  40  41. 

Ruggles,  Gen.  Daniel.  200. 

Ruggles.  Gen.  Geo.  D.,  271,  276. 

Rush,  Dr.  Benj.    152. 

Russell,  saves  Smith's  life,  13. 

Sanford,  Joseph,  68.  142.  168. 
Saunders,  Rev.  A.  P.,  D.  D..  198 

209. 
Schofield,  Gen.  John  M.,  115. 


Index 


347 


School  Buildings — Union  House, 
144;  Colored  School,  144;  new 
School  Building,  145. 

Schooler,  Miss  Willie  F.,  194,  197. 

Schools,  Fredericksburg  Academy, 
193;  Federal  Hill  Female  Col- 
lege, 194;  Charity  School,  194; 
Rev.  Samuel  Wilson's,  195;  John 
Goolrick's,  196;  T.  H.  Hanson's, 
196;  Rev.  Geo.  W.  McPhail's, 
196;  Powell  and  Morrison's, 
197;  Richard  Sterling's,  197; 
Mrs.  John  P.  Little's,  197; 
Misses  Ann  and  Mary  Drinnan's, 
197;  Rev.  Dr.  Wm.  F.  Broad- 
dus's,  197;  Judge  Richard  H. 
Coleman's,  197;  Wm.  Caruth- 
ers's,  198;  Public  Schools,  199; 
Fredericksburg  College,  198, 
Fredericksburg  Female  Semi- 
nary, 198. 

Scott,  Capt.  Benj.,  185. 

Scott,  Charles  S.,  Ill,  171. 

Scott,  Dr.  Wm.  S.,  86. 

Scott,  Francis  S.,  134. 

Scott,  Gen.  Winfield,  265,  314. 

Scott,  Hugh  S.,  68,  142. 

Scott,  John  F.,  hostage  prisoner, 
77,  79. 

Secobeck,  19. 

Seddon,  Thomas,  133. 

Semple,  Rev.  Robert  B.,  210,  211. 

Semple,  Robert  B.,  138,  139,  140, 
226. 

Sener,  Capt.  J.  W.,  Ill,  120,  175, 
183,  184,  201. 

Sener,  Hon.  J.  B..  128,  157,  160. 
227,  248,  260. 

Sentry  Box,  150. 

Sewell,  Gen.  W.  J.,  262,  271. 

Shackleford,  Rev.  J.  Green,  207. 

Shakahonea,  Indian  town,  15. 

Shelburne,  Rev.  Cephas.  214. 

Shepherd,  George  W.,  59,  149,  192, 
261. 

Sherman,  Roger,  294. 

Sickles.  Gen.  Daniel  E.,  269,  271. 

Slaughter,  F.,  142. 

Slaughter,  M.,  hostage  prisoner, 
74,  77,  78,  84,  86,  87,  104,  111, 
112.  126. 

Slaughter,  Rev.  Philip,  D.  D.,  193. 

Slaughter,  Wm.,  68,  139,  140. 

Sligo,  small-pox  hospital,  66. 

Smith,  Augustin,  39. 


Smith,  Austin,  30. 

Smith,  Capt.  John,  11,  12,  13,  18, 
19,  20,  37,  264,  332. 

Smith,  Charles  K.,  248. 

Smith,  Frank  W.,  170. 

Smith,  Gen.  Gustavus  W.,  83. 

Smith,  George  Washington,  223. 

Smith,  Maj.  Lawrence,  21,  37. 

Smith,  Miss  Rebecca,  222. 

Smith,  Mrs.  Jas.  P.,  158. 

Smith,  Rev.  Jas.  P.,  D.  D.,  209. 

Smith,  Rev.  S.  C,  211. 

Smith,  Rev.  Wm.  D.,  205,  224,  324. 

Smith,  Robert,  183. 

Smith,  William,  22. 

Smock,  James,  171,  172. 

Society  of  the  Army  of  the  Poto- 
mac, 259,  261,  271,  276. 

Sockbeck,  19. 

Somerville,  James,  124. 

Somerville,  Prof.  S.  W.,  145,  199. 

Sons  of  Confederate  Veterans,  192. 

Spencer,  Mrs.  Lettie  M.,  322. 

Spotswood,  Governor,  22,  23,  24, 
27,  32,  33,  42. 

Stansbury,  John  L.,  84. 

Stearns,  Frank  P.,  145. 

Stearns,  Mrs.  Walter  C,  223. 

Stegara,  Indian  town,  15,  16,  19. 

Sterling,  Richard,  197. 

Stern,  Richard,  197. 

Stevenson,  A.  E.,  159,  160. 

Stevenson,  Carter  L.,  132. 

Stoffregen,  R.  Lee,  175. 

Stone,  Samuel,  167. 

Strasburger,  Miss  Bertha,  222. 

Stuart,  Gen.  J.  E.  B.,  86. 

Sumner,  Gen.  E.  V.,  85. 

Tackett,  Charles  E.,  teacher,  197, 

198. 
Tackett,  Charles  E.,  166. 
Taliaferro,  John,  39,  42. 
Tapahanock,  Indian  King.  19. 
Tauxuntania,  Indian  town,  15,  16, 

19. 
Taylor,  Col.  W.  W.,  176. 
Taylor,    Mayor    Richard    M.,    276, 

277. 
Taylor,    Pres.    Zachary,    264,    312, 

314. 
Taylor,  William,  172. 
Teasdale,  Rev.  John,  211. 
Telephone  Co.,  179. 


348 


Index 


Temple,   Benj.,   hostage  prisoner, 

77,  79. 
Temple,  Charles  W..  198. 
Templeman,  Wm.,  237. 
Thanksgiving  Proclamation,  306. 
Thatcher,  Elisha,  171. 
Thorn,  Reuben  T.,  89,  205,  208. 
Thornton,  Ira,  42. 
Thornton,  Pressley,  46. 
Timberlake.  James,  167. 
Tobacco  Inspectors,  oath  of  office, 

47. 
Todkill,  Smith's  companion,  13. 
Transportation   Lines — R.   F.   and 

P.  R.  R.,  328;  P.  P.  and  P.  R.  R., 

328;    Md„   Del.   and  Va.  R.  R~., 

329. 
Tremain,  Gen.  Henry  E.,  262,  271. 
Tucker,  Saint  George,  3TF4. 
Turner,  James  A.,  192,  261. 
Tuttle.  H.  B.,  166. 
Tyler,  Gov.  Hoge,  277. 
Tyler,  Prest.  John,  264,  312,  314. 

Ultz,  John,  166. 
Upham,  Dr.  J.  H.,  244. 
U.  S.  Government  building,  147. 
Utterback,  Harman,  German  min- 
er, 24. 

Virginia,   military   district  No.   1, 

113. 
Vorhees,  Hon.  Daniel  W..  313. 

Waddy,  Rev.  John  M.,  211. 

Waite,  George,  221. 

Walden,  Rev.  L.  G.,  215. 

Walker,  Dr.  Thomas   281. 

Walker,  George  A.,  184. 

Walker,  Joseph,  162. 

Wallace.  Judge  A.  Wellington,  126. 

302.  309. 
Wallace,  Capt.  C.  Wistar,  145,  149, 

184. 
Wallace,  Dr.  J.  Gordon,  74,  120. 
Wallace.    Gen.    Gustavus   B..    149. 

218,  301. 
Wallace,  H.  H.,  261. 
Wallace,  J.  Stansbury,  248. 
Wallace  Library,  145,  146. 
Wallace,  Maj.  Thomas  P.,  146. 
Wallace,  Mrs.  Charles,  324. 
Waller,  John,  39,  42. 
Waller,  John,  Jr.,  237. 


Waller,  Miss  Mary  Page,  325. 
Waller,  Rev.  John,  209. 
Waller,  William,  44. 

Wardwell, ,  76. 

Ware,  William,  218. 
Warren,  William,  139.  140. 
Warwick,  Hon.  Charles  F.,  248,  2rr 
Washington,  Augustine,  42. 
Washington,  Bushrod,  130. 
Washington,  Col.  Wm..  251. 
Washington,  George,  42,  46,  48,  49. 

143,  217,  218,  253,  254,  255,  264. 

299,  302,  304. 
Washington,  Martha,  236,  237. 
Water  Power,  329. 
Water  Works,  174,  175. 
Wayman,  ,  German  miner, 

24. 
Weaver,  Tillman,  German  miner, 

24. 
Weedon,  Gen.  George,  49,  50,  149, 

150,  217,  301. 
Weir,  Mrs.  Florence  F..  322. 
Wellford,    Beverley    R.,    139,    140, 

142. 
Wellford,    Beverley,    R.,    Jr.,    79, 

220. 
Wellford.  C.  C,  hostage  prisoner, 

64,  77,  142,  143. 
Wellford,  Dr.  Francis  P.,  243. 
Wellford,  W.  N.,  169. 
Wheeler,  Gen.  D.  D.,  151. 
Wheeler,  Gen.  Joseph,  262,  271. 
White,  Jesse,  225,  229,  246. 
White,  Mrs.  W.  Seymour,  222. 
White,  Wm.  H.,  138,  139.  140. 
White,  W.  Seymour.  222,  228,  248. 
Whittemore,  J.  M.,  141,  180. 
Wight,  Mrs.  H.  Theodore,  153. 
Wilderness  Campaign,  99, 101, 105. 
Williams,  Major  Charles  76.  128. 
Williams,  Rev.  R.  Aubrey,  211. 
Williams,  Rev.  Wm.  H.,  211. 
Willis,  Catherine,  243. 
Willis,  Col.  Byrd  C.  243. 
Willis,  Benj.  P..  146,  200,  211. 
Willis,  Henry,  39,  44,  45. 
Willis,  M.  G.,  177. 
Willis,  Rev.  John  C,  227. 
Willis,  Wm.,  245. 
Wilson,  Rev.  Samuel  B..  132,  207. 
Winchester,  Stephen,  172. 
Wodrow.  Alexander,  220. 
Woltz,  Col.  John  W..  227. 


Index  349 

Woodford,  Gen.  Wm„  217,  301.  Yates,  A.  Bacon,  160. 

Wood,  Silas,  64,  143.  Yates,  Charles,  237. 

Wrenn,    Lewis,    hostage   prisoner,  Young,  James,  166,  167. 

77,  79.  Young,  John  James,  105,  111,  120, 

Wroten,  George  W.,  147,  261.  201. 

Wythe,  George,  168,  247,  302.  Young,  Mary,  238. 


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